Malanji And Lusambo Ask Court To Postpone By-Elections

Former Patriotic Front MPs Joseph Malanji and Bowman Lusambo have asked the High Court in Lusaka to postpone by-elections scheduled in their former constituencies of Kwacha and Kabushi respectively.  

The request comes after the Constitutional Court ruled yesterday that both men were eligible to recontest their seats, putting pressure on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to re-open nominations for the by-elections scheduled for 15th September.  

The former PF lawmakers are now asking the high court to order the ECZ to hold fresh nominations, and to rule that the ECZ overstepped in declining their initial bids.  

Lusambo was stripped of his Kabushi seat in July after multiple courts heard evidence of voter fraud and harassment by the former Lusaka Province minister during the 2021 general elections. In particular Lusambo was accused of using his ‘Nato Forces’ paramilitary group to intimidate voters into backing him at the polls.  

Malanji, meanwhile, had his Kwacha constituency nullified after the Constitutional Court found that he did not have his Grade 12 school leaving certificate and was thus ineligible to stand as an MP.

On Wednesday, however, Constitutional Court Judge Makebi Zulu ruled that both men are eligible to stand for election again, drawing a distinction between having your seat nullified and being disqualified from standing in the first place.  

Acting PF President Given Lubinda praised the decision and called on the ECZ to follow the Court’s wishes by putting both candidates back on the ballot papers.

“An injury caused towards any member of the PF  is an injury caused to all members of the PF, and there was no way we were going to abandon Malanji and Lusambo simply because ECZ wanted them to be disadvantaged, we have proved that we shall stand by our members, come rain, come sunshine,” he said