CHARITY LUMPA DISCONTINUES LUSAKA CENTRAL ELECTION PETITION

CHARITY LUMPA DISCONTINUES LUSAKA CENTRAL ELECTION PETITION By Nelson Zulu Resolute Party candidate for Lusaka Central, Charity Lumpa, has discontinued her petition against UPND’s Musaiwale Mlewa before the Lusaka High Court. The discontinuance follows a petition in which Ms. Lumpa had challenged the conduct of the parliamentary election, alleging that they were denied an opportunity […]

CHARITY LUMPA DISCONTINUES LUSAKA CENTRAL ELECTION PETITION

By Nelson Zulu

Resolute Party candidate for Lusaka Central, Charity Lumpa, has discontinued her petition against UPND’s Musaiwale Mlewa before the Lusaka High Court.

The discontinuance follows a petition in which Ms. Lumpa had challenged the conduct of the parliamentary election, alleging that they were denied an opportunity to transparently monitor the counting and totaling of votes after the Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ- suspended the process.

Ms. Lumpa also alleged that political party representatives and agents were evicted from the totaling centre by ECZ officers, while ballot papers remained in the custody of national security officers.

She had asked the court to determine that the winning candidate was not duly elected or that the election be declared void.

However, in a notice of discontinuance dated September 8, the petitioner formally discontinued the matter wholly against the respondents.

Meanwhile, the ECZ has denied allegations of electoral irregularities, illegal practices, misconduct, intimidation, interference with polling agents, improper assistance of voters, campaigning in prohibited areas, misrepresentation and non-compliance with the Electoral Process Act levelled by Siavonga independent losing candidate Brave Mweetwa

In its response concerning the Siavonga parliamentary election, ECZ maintained that the poll was conducted on August 13, with UPND candidate Darius Mulunda declared winner by the returning officer on August 15, after the commission received no reports concerning the alleged irregularities from polling staff deployed at Changa Police Station or from the petitioner himself.

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