The Electoral Law and Governance Institute of Africa (ELGIA) has charged that the 2016 presidential petition in which Hakainde Hichilema, then opposition leader, challenged the election victory of former President Edgar Lungu, was not heard on merit.
Speaking during the launch of Zambia’s judiciary’s strategic plan of the advisory committee on election management, the institute Executive Director, Felix Owuor, urged the Zambian judiciary to contribute meaningfully in strengthening the electoral process and dispute resolution.
He says the Zambian judiciary must refrain from being politicized.
In 2016, the Constitutional Court had dismissed Mr. Hichilema’s election petition on a technicality without hearing the main matter.
The court had ruled that time to hear the matter had elapsed.
By Darius Choonya