Lawyer Seeks Clarity on 7-Day Deadline for Presidential Election Petition

LAWYER SEEKS CLARITY ON 7-DAY DEADLINE FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PETITION

By Elesani Phiri

Lusaka Lawyer Tresford Chali has raised questions over how the seven-day deadline for filing a presidential election petition should be calculated.

Mr. Chali says the key issue is whether the deadline should be counted in hours from the time President Hakainde Hichilema was declared President-elect, or based on the official operating hours of the court registry.

This follows confirmation by the judiciary that Chief Justice Mumba Malila received and referred documents described as the “People’s Presidential Petition” to the Constitutional Court for consideration after they were sent to his private email address amidst controversy surrounding the closure of court premises at the expiry of the period for challenging the August 13 presidential election results.

In an interview with Phoenix News, Mr. Chali explained that the Constitutional Court will now have to determine whether the petition was filed within the prescribed period, and whether submitting it through the Chief Justice’s private email was valid.

He added that the court’s decision will be important in interpreting timelines for presidential election petitions, and could have wider implications for Zambia’s democratic and electoral processes.

PHOENIX NEWS