Lungu faces legal challenge in presidency bid

It will take a full trial to determine if former Zambian President Edgar Lungu is eligible to stand again, the country's Constitutional Court has decided. Lungu hopes to be on the 2026 presidential ballot again, and had hoped to achieve that without more, protracted legal action. However, the merits of the case must be heard, the Constitutional Court said. That will now see youth activist Michelo Chizombe make his argument that Lungu has reached the term limit, and so cannot stand again. News24 reports that Lungu of the Patriotic Front (PF) served as President between January 2015 and August 2021 until he lost to incumbent Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development. Lungu has been actively working towards regaining control of the PF, which could give him a good shot at the presidency. Chizombe, however, says the nature of Lungu's previous time in office precludes him. He argued in court papers that period counts as a term in office, since Lungu was elected and sworn in. If so, Lungu's second term ran from 2016 to 2021 – and he has hit Zambia's term limit. Lungu argues he ‘inherited’ a presidential term and that it should not count. Political parties such as the Christian Democratic Party, Zambia Republican Party, the New Congress Party and Citizens Democratic Party petitioned the Constitutional Court to allow Lungu to stand in 2021.

Full News24 report