The United Party for National Development (UPND) has said that they have received the news of the Kabwata by-election cancellation with shock.

Speaking to ZANIS in Choma, UPND Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa said that much as the party respects the constitution, the Electoral Commission of Zambia should have allowed the election to go ahead.

Mr. Mweetwa who was also Kabwata’s by-election campaign manager said that his party is however ready at any time to go back for campaigns.

However, Socialist Secretary-General Dr. Cosmas Musheke Musumali, speaking on Diamond TV, has charged that the constitution and electoral process is being abused and hijacked, adding that the credibility for the reasons for the withdrawal are flimsy and called upon the law enforcement agencies to investigate immediately as some allegations are very severe for the democratic dispersion of Zambia.

In the same vein, Socialist Party Candidate Tripher Ng’andu said that the move is a waste of resources and taxpayers’ money.

Mr. Ng’andu said that the money that has been used for nominations and campaigns would have been channeled to other sectors of society.

He told ZNBC News in a telephone interview that there is a need for reforms that must change the clause in the Constitution.

And the Patriotic Front (PF) Member of the Central Committee in Charge of Information and Publicity Raphael Nakacinda charged that the ECZ has played to the game of UPND who have instigated the resignation of United Progressive Party (UPP) Candidate Francis Libanda from the Kabwata race.

Mr. Nakacinda said inducing Mr Libanda’s resignation was among the ruling party’s tactics because no one was willing to engage with them in their proposed violent campaigns.

Mr. Nakacinda alleged that the UPND have tried to use different tactics in the Kabwata by-election which among them included trying to use law enforcement agencies to try and prevent PF Candidate Clement Tembo from contesting.

Mr. Nakacinda said that cancellation was the UPND’s plan to give themselves a window to find a formula to manipulate the process with the hope of finding someone to send to Parliament, noting that what is more surprising is that the candidate for United Progressive Party resigned twice.

“How can someone resign twice except the fact that it is premeditatedly meant to give the UPND a window to find a formula to manipulate the process with the hope that they would find someone to send to Parliament.

“Here is a person who could not be accessed by his party leadership, but could be accessed by the UPND. He sent a letter which could not invoke fresh nominations. He was instructed to write a fresh letter by the UPND which has invoked article 52 and necessitated the cancellation of the election,” he said.

And, People’s Alliance for Change Candidate Sydney Zyambo said the cancellation is regrettable and called for new reforms in the Constitution, so that even if one person resigns, by elections are allowed to go ahead.

Meanwhile, Economic Equity Party candidate Chilufya Tayali he is disappointed because he has spent money on campaign materials and that it is expensive to start all over again for fresh nominations.

He told ZNBC NEWS that the move is also expensive on the part of the Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has decided to cancel the Kabwata By-Elections after the United Progressive Party (UPP) Kabwata Parliamentary by-election candidate, Mr. Libanda Francis sent in a second letter today invoking the provisions of different Article 52(6) of the Constitution of Zambia, which among other things includes resigning from the sponsoring party.

In a press briefing this afternoon, ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Patrick Nshindano said that the commission had rejected the withdrawal from the election by the UPP candidate dated 7th January 2022, and allowed the by-election to proceed as planned as provided for by the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016, Section 31 (2) which empowers the Commission to reject a withdrawal and proceed with the election, emphasizing that a “withdrawal” is clearly only permitted before the closing of nominations as provided under Section 31(2) of the Electoral Process Act.

Mr. Nshindano, however, said that with the second letter received today from Mr. Libanda dated 10th January 2022, the second letter the candidate sent to the commission today clarifying his decision whilst invoking the provision of Article 52 of the Republican Constitution The Electoral Process Act under Section 31(2), the law requires the cancellation of elections and this calls for fresh nominations for eligible candidates.

Mr. Nshindano said that in this case, Mr. Libanda, in his letter dated 10th January 2022 has invoked the provisions of Article 52(6) of the Constitution of Zambia, and given that this is a Constitutional provision, the Commission is bound to comply without any discretion to do otherwise.

“In this regard, the Commission hereby cancels the election for Kabwata Parliamentary by-election pursuant to the said Article 52(6) of the Republican Constitution and will be conducting fresh nominations for Kabwata Constituency on dates to be advised once a Statutory Instrument has been finalised.

“This, therefore, means that all campaign-related activities for Kabwata Constituency have been cancelled and will only commence on the date of fresh nominations, ” he said

Mr Nshindano said that as the law requires fresh nominations, it entails that all aspiring candidates in the Kabwata Parliamentary by-election including those that had originally filed in nominations will be required to pay the prescribed nomination fee, adding that the Commission also recognizes that this process may inconvenience stakeholders, especially political parties that had successfully fielded candidates as they will be required to file fresh nominations.

Mr Nshindano further said that that ballot papers for the elections are were scheduled to arrive tomorrow Tuesday 11th 2022 via Kenneth Kaunda International Airport from Dubai and that the resignation of Mr Libanda comes with unwarranted costs as the already printed ballot papers are a cost that needs to be paid for in addition to other electoral activity costs.

Mr Nshindano called upon Political parties to thoroughly scrutinise candidates they intend to field in any election to avoid a waste of resources and other inconveniences caused to the Commission, Political Parties and other stakeholders.

“With the foregoing, stakeholders may note that there is an urgent need to review the electoral laws to enhance the integrity of the electoral process and safeguard scarce public resources that could have otherwise been used for other developmental programmes,” Mr Nshindano said, adding that the Commission, working with other stakeholders, will soon embark on a thorough review of the electoral laws in order to enhance the electoral process.