Bend the rule, or else
Is Zambia headed for a constitutional crisis?
Based on President Edgar Lungu’s threats, Zambia could be headed for a constitutional crisis if the courts stick to the letter of the law on what constitutes a third presidential term
Amid an ongoing case in Zambia’s constitutional court to determine his eligibility to run for a third term in the 2021 general elections, President Edgar Lungu has warned the judges not to emulate Kenya’s supreme court judges by disqualifying him as that would plunge the country into chaos. In Kenya, supreme court judges declared the August presidential election null and void after a petition filed by main opposition leader Raila Odinga cited irregularities in the poll. This forced an election re-run, which was boycotted by Odinga, to the dismay of some of his supporters. Lungu warned Zambia’s top judges that disqualifying him would not be in the interests of the people. He believes the only barrier he faces is whether his party, the Patriotic Front (PF), adopts him as its candidate, rather than what the constitution says or how the court will interpret it. "The most important thing I can say right now is that in 2021 I am available to stand if my party decides that I [should]. But ...
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