Concourt Rules Lungu Eligible To Run In 2021

The Constitutional Court has ruled that President Edgar Lungu is currently serving his first term of office and is therefore eligible to contest the 2021 elections.

The ConCourt has ruled that the amount of time President Lungu served after Michael Sata’s death cannot be considered a full term.

The Constitutional Court ruled that President Lungu did not serve a full term between 2015 and 2016, which by interpretation means he is eligible to contest elections in 2021.

However, there remain grave concerns and doubts over the legality of such a ruling.

All of the judges were appointed by President Lungu – even though none of them met the necessary qualifications to legally serve on it – and were under heavy state pressure.

The Patriotic Front (PF) were in fact so certain of the verdict that they already announced Lungu as its presidential candidate for 2021 and begun distributing “Edgar Lungu 2021” campaign materials.

Many believe this ruling, is a blow to democracy in Zambia, with President Lungu demonstrating increasingly dictatorial behaviours.