HH faces ban
... all perpetual presidential candidates losers face ban should Parley approve bill
HAKAINDE Hichilema, Edith Nawakwi and Geoffrey Miyanda risk being banned from contesting the 2021 general elections should the proposed law to limit such candidate’s chances be approved by members of Parliament.
And members of Parliament will be limited to only two terms (10 years) to represent their constituencies.
According to former UPND deputy spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo verbal submission has been made during current judicial review process and on Monday a formal submission proposing to limit the chances of perpetual presidential candidates from recontesting during the next general election will be made.
He explained that the same proposed law will seek to limit the term of office for members of Parliament to only two.
In an interview, Mr Lifwekelo said he was not playing politics but wanted to bring sanity in the political arena by encouraging interparty democracy.
Mr Lifwekelo said not only was it unfair but also against intraparty democracy for some leaders remain perpetual candidates during each and every election held.
“You cannot have a president standing as wamuyayaya who every election is contesting and yet talking about other candidates not being eligible.
“Hakainde Hichilema even has the courage to tell Lungu not to contest during the 2021 general election forgetting that he has been a perpetual candidate for UPND,” he said.
Mr Lifwekelo vowed he would make sure that there was no Mr Hichilema, Mrs Nawakwi, Gen Miyanda and many others that had been perpetual candidates on the ballot paper come 2021.
He said the idea was to bring sanity in the political arena by discouraging wamuyayaya presidential candidates.
“So they risk being banned once this proposal becomes law, reforms taken on board and Parliament amends them then Hakainde and Nawakwi risk being barred from contesting the 2021 general elections,” Mr Lifwekelo said.
He said UPND and FDD among other political parties should immediately start looking for people who would represent them as their presidential candidates in 2021.
“Only those that are eligible and are within the confines of the law will be allowed,” Mr Lifwekelo said.
He said submissions were ongoing and that he was very serious on making a written submission on Monday next week following a verbal.
Mr Lifwekelo said he expected all the political parties in Parliament to support the Bill because it was progressive as it would bring sanity in the political arena.
He said there were a lot of people within political parties that had presidential ambitions.