NYIRENDA IS NAREP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, RULES CONCOURT

By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA THE Constitutional Court has declared valid the nomination of Steven Nyirenda as National Restoration Party (NAREP) Presidential candidate for the August 12, 2021 general elections. In this matter, Mr Charles Maboshe, leader of the opposing NAREP faction was seeking a declaration and an order that the nomination filed by Mr Nyirenda on May 19, 2021 with the Returning Officer and all documents in support of his nomination for election of the office of president in the August 12 elections is null and void. Mr Nyirenda and his running mate Ms Lucy Changwe are first and second respondents  while the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) are cited as third respondent. But Mr Nyirenda submitted that he did not violate article 100 of the constitution, therefore his nomination was valid and Mr Maboshe’s petition should be dismissed for lack of merit. In its abridged judgement delivered by Judge Judy Mulongoti on behalf of other judges yesterday, the ConCourt ruled that Mr Nyirenda was validly nominated. The court will give its full judgement on July 2, this year.