YALI Threatens To Challenge HH Electoral Nomination

The President of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), Andrew Ntwewe has threatened to challenge Hakainde Hichilema’s nomination as a candidate for next year’s presidential election.

It comes in response to a challenge mounted by constitutional lawyer John Sangwa against President Lungu’s desire to run for office a third time. 

Mr Ntewe defended the president’s right to run next year and warned Sangwa that his preferred candidate should also be prepared to stand up to judicial scrutiny. 

“He [Sangwa] must understand that President Edgar Lungu is not going to be the only candidate in the 2021 elections , other candidates including the people that are sponsoring him may also be challenged. Equally, those who will need to challenge the eligibility of Hakainde Hichilema or Chishimba Kambwili when time comes should be encouraged to do so. And we hope all candidates whose eligibility will be challenged will respect the decision of our Constitutional Court as it is more competent to handle these challenges.

Under the Zambian constitution, any presidential candidate can be challenged within seven days of the nomination period closing, with a court obliged to hear the case within twenty-one days of being filed.

Mr Sangwa has been vocal in his criticism of Mr Lungu in recent weeks, arguing that the president is not eligible to run next year as he has already been elected to the presidency twice: once in 2015 and again in 2016.