as Attorney General pushes for fast judgment over ECL eligibility
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A CLIQUE IN PF WANT’S ECL DISQUALIFIED
… as Attorney General pushes for fast judgment over ECL eligibility
A clique within the Patriotic Front (PF) is looking to procure a judgment against President Edgar Lungu at the concourt over his eligibility to contest the August 2021 election
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Multiple sources have confirmed to The Candidates that the clique has pumped in a lot of money to knock out President Lungu using the court as it expects it to overturn from it’s earlier verdict of the Dan Pule and Others case.
Two camps have emerged in PF. There are those who consider themselves ‘true greens’ who want to terminate those who may have joined the ruling party after it formed government. A source says.
According to the source who spoke on condition of anonymity for obvious reasons, said the ‘true greens’ is divided in two camps.
During the closing remarks at the PF General conference, President Lungu warned those who protested against the 54 member list of his Members of the Central Committee saying everyone in PF is a member whether they joined the party after it formed government or before.
It is said, one group considering itself as ‘true greens’ is on President Lungu’s side and wishes that he is declared eligible.
This is a group that is willing to work with others who joined the PF from other parties after it formed government.
The other group of ‘true greens’ wants to weed out those whom it considers as ‘foreigners’ in PF and is the one that is trying to procure a judgment that knocks out President Lungu.
Among those that have been targeted for weeding are Dora Siliya who faces a challenge in Petauke. This particular group has also sponsored a serious fierce opposition against Vincent Mwale in Chipangali constituency.
The group has lined up a number of aspirants whom it want to be adopted against the incumbents. Among those targeted are Nkandu Luo, Jean Kapata and Stephen Kampyongo as well as the Kanchibiya MP Dr. Martin Malama and Richard Musukwa in Chililabombwe.
Additionally, this particular group has targeted Joe Malanji and Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu in it’s elimination plan as it considers the two favorites to clutch the running mate position in PF.
Initially, the lithel true greens group had hopped that a running mate position in PF was contested as opposed to leaving it to President Lungu to determine. The clique also hopped that the position of Secretary General was permanent as opposed to leaving it to President Lungu to appoint.
This clique is also against President Lungu’s 54 member list of Members of the Central Committee and in order to manipulate adoptions, it has positioned various mercenaries in structures at provincial level to produce disparaging recommendations against incumbents it seek to weed out during adoptions.
Meanwhile, another independent source yesterday told The Candidates in a telephone conversation that Pambashe MP Ronald Chitotela is in over drive trying to block the coming back of Chishimba Kambwili to PF. The source confirmed that Chitotela is also sponsoring some aspirants in various constituencies in Luapula and other provinces to topple incumbents in what is believed to be a move to have hegemony within the party.
It is said Chitotela is also seriously fighting former Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya in a bid to snatch adoption from him and keep him away from power.
Rivalry between the two dates back to the period before Chitalu Chilufya was fired by President Lungu from government following a scandal at the ministry of health under his watch. The two fought for the running mate position to President Lungu.
However, Attorney General Likanda Kalaluka has asked the Constitutional court to treat with urgency a matter in which UPND Katuba Member of Parliament, Bampi Kapalasa and a Lusaka resident, Joseph Busengi wants the court to interpret the Constitutional provisions regarding the eligibility of President Edgar Lungu to contest in the 2021 general elections.
According to Mr. Kalaluka delaying the matter may have the potential to prejudice President Lungu in the proceedings.
He says this is because the Electoral Commission of Zambia have already published the election calendar which shows that payment of nomination fees for aspiring candidates is slated for 1st to 9th May, 2021.
Mr. Kalaluka therefore wants the court to dispose off the case as it has a bearing on the holding of the general elections set for August 12th, 2021.
Further, the attorney general in his application says the provisions of the Constitution cited by the applicants have already been adjudicated upon by the same court in the case of Danny Pule, Wright Musoma, Peter Chanda and Robert Mwanza vs the Attorney General and Davies Mwila as PF Secretary General, the Law Association of Zambia and Steven Katuka in his capacity as UPND Secretary General.
In the current matter Mr. Kapalasa and Mr. Busengi have made an application for the interpretation of the expunged provision of the constitution of the Republic of Zambia as to whether President Lungu is eligible to run for the third term while taking into consideration Article 106 (1),(3a)(6)(a) and (b) of 2016 of the Constitution of Zambia and Articles 35(1) and (2) of the 1996 constitution.
They say the constitution of Zambia is not clear whether Article 35(1) and (2) of the old constitution as amended by Act No. 18 of 2006 was saved in respect of allowing or disallowing President Lungu to run for Presidency of two full terms under the new amended constitution.
