KABWATA POLL WILL PROCEED
...despite withdrawal of UPP candidate
THE
Electoral Commis sion of Zambia (ECZ) has said that the with drawal from the Kabwata by-election by United Pro gressive Party candidate (UPP) Mr Francis Libanda will not affect the day for the election and no fresh nomi nation will be called.
ECZ public relations officer Raphael Phiri said that after the nominations had closed any withdrawals by the candi date would not be recognized by the commission.
Mr. Libanda yesterday with drew from the race for the Kabwata seat in which he said that the decision was arrived at after wide consultation from family and close associates.
And Mr Phiri said that the returning officer was clear when addressing the candi dates at Nakatindi hall on the day of nomination that if any one wanted to withdraw from the election they were sup posed to do it on that particu lar day before the nomination closes.
“That is the principle,” he said.
He said they were not aware of the withdrawal by the said candidate but regardless of whether he had withdrawn or not he was still going to appear on the ballot because all withdrawal applications af ter the nomination date were considered invalid.
Meanwhile Mr Libanda whose video had gone viral on social media when he was be ing interviewed by a reporter said that he was not going to take part in the by-election af ter submitting his withdrawal letter to the ECZ.
In the same video he apol ogized to the party president Dr. Saviour Chishimba and thanked him for the adoption to stand on that ticket.
The Kabwata by-election is slate to be on 20 January, 2022 this came after the tragic death of the UPND Kabwata member of parliament Mr Levy Mukandawire in Novem ber last year.