Lubasenshi nullified, Lukashya and Malole PF MPs retain seats

THE Kasama High Court has nullified the election of Lubansenshi PF Member of Parliament Chewe Taulo and declared the seat vacant.

The nullification follows the petition, which losing UPND candidate Patrick Mucheleka filed in the High Court, stating that the 12th August 2021, general election was marred with electoral malpractices such as bribing electorates and tribal remarks against himself and the UPND party leadership, among other grounds in the petition.

When the matter came up yesterday for judgement, before Lusaka based High Court Justice Maria Kawimbe who sat as Kasama High Court Justice said she was satisfied that the petitioner had proved beyond all reasonable doubts most of his allegations and declared the election of Chewe Taulo as Member of Parliament null

and void.

Meanwhile, Lusaka based High Court Judge Mathews Zulu who sat as Kasama

High Court Justice, upheld the election of Patriotic Front’s George Chisanga as duly elected Lukashya Member of Parliament, saying that the petitioner in the matter had failed to prove all the allegations against the respondent.

In this matter losing Lukashya UPND candidate Davies Mulenga petitioned Mr Chisanga saying that his election was marred with political violence, buying of NRCs from voters in exchange for the money and the distributing of food to the electorates during an election day, as some of the grounds which made people vote for the PF candidate.

In another election petition, Justice Charles Zulu upheld the election of Malole PF’s Robert Kalimi as duly elected Member of Parliament, after he was not satisfied with the grounds of the petition losing UPND candidate Rosemary Chikonkolo filed before him.

Among grounds of the petition Ms Chinkonkolo raised were electoral violence allegedly perpetrated by PF cadres, distribution of mealie-meal to electorates during campaign period and corrupt practices to solicit for votes.