PF Gears Up For Elective Conference

The Patriotic Front (PF) is scheduled to hold its General Conference at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre next weekend.

The event will be held virtually and will elect the party President and members of the Central Committee.

Speaking ahead of the conference PF Secretary General Hon Davies Mwila has stated that the Central Committee has unanimously endorsed President Lungu for the position of party President at the conference. However, he noted that others were still free to contest the position if they wish to.

While it is widely expected that President Edgar Lungu will be re-elected to his position ahead of the 2021 general elections, there have been some concerns regarding his eligibility to contest the upcoming polls.

The constitution includes a strict two term limit. However, there has been disagreement over whether President Lungu’s first term counts, as he served for only 18 months after elections in January 2015 which were prompted by the death of former President Michael Sata in 2014.

Among those to have disputed the President’s eligibility were constitutional lawyer John Sangwa who argued that because President Lungu has been elected twice he cannot seek a third term.

“When you read the language of the Constitution, it is very clear. The bottom line is President Lungu does not qualify to stand in 2021, the issue is as simple as that. The Constitution does not talk about the number of times you serve, it is the number of times you get elected… There is no provision for a third term in our Constitution!” Sangwa has stated.

PF figures such as Mwila have argued that the question of the President’s eligibility in 2021 was settled decisively by the Constitutional Court, which ruled that the period January 2015 to September 2016 cannot be considered a full term. However, some civil society figures claim that it is only once President Lungu files his nomination that it can be challenged in the courts.