United Party for National Development (UPND) Elections Chairperson, Garry Nkombo has said that the party has engaged independent individuals to oversee the elections at the UPND General Assembly.
CISCA president Judith Mulenga will chair the process and will be assisted by Judith Mulenga and Macdonald Chipenzi of GEARS and that these are not UPND but had been asked to run the UPND elections.
Mr Nkombo said that the National Management Committee (NMC) extraordinary meeting held at the UPND secretariat yesterday resolved that all party positions (including that of the party president) were open for contestation.
“The UPND has engaged independent individuals from civil society to help us run this affair which will help us achieve the transparency that we are looking for. We have appointed Judith Mulenga from CiSCA to chair the Election Commission. She will be assisted by Pamela Chisanga, a governance activist, and MacDonald Chipenzi from GEARS. We wish to appeal to our members not to brand these individuals as UPND because we were tasked to engage independent persons,” he said.
The General Conference is in line with Article 60 of the Republican Constitution as well as Article 52 and 60 of the UPND Constitution. During the same event, a number of UPND members also filed their nomination papers for the National Management Committee (NMC).
“There has to be one nominating province supported by 5 other provinces for the presidential position,” said Mr Hichilema’s Election Agent, Chirundu MP, Douglas Syakalima shortly after Muchinga Province Chairman, Rev. Matthews Chilekwa, nominated Mr Hichilema. Mr Hichilema’s nomination by Northern Province was seconded by Eastern Province and Luapula Province.
The 10 provincial chairmen who were on hand to witness the filing in, have since endorsed the candidature of Mr Hichilema as the party’s preferred presidential candidate for the forthcoming intra-party elections.
Dean of the 10 provinces, Central Province Chairperson, Anthony Chifita stated that all the provinces support HH’s candidature.
“We, the undersigned, in supporting the nominations by the nominating province (Muchinga) and the 5 supporting provinces, do hereby support and endorse the candidature of Mr Hakainde Hichilema for both the forthcoming UPND General Conference as well as the presidential candidate for the forthcoming August 12th general elections,” he said.
Nominations opened yesterday at 16 hours and scheduled to close at 12 hours on 6th February 2021. The process has since attracted 83 nominations for NMC
Copperbelt chairperson for Elisha Matambo told the gathering that the presence of all the ten provincial chairperson shows that he is the only Presidential candidate.
Mr. Matambo said President Hichilema has suffered at the hands of the PF government for the sake of making life better for all Zambians.
He warned PF that UPND will not allow any fake tricks of arrests, intimidation, violence from PF because this time the Party is more than ready to protect President Hichilema the only leader with the heart to save the people of Zambia from the Jews of the corrupt regime. He said PF should know that Presidency comes from God through the people of Zambia.
And Opposition UPND President has successfully filed his nomination to recontest his position as Party President for the forthcoming UPND General Conference slated for February 14th, 2021. Mr. Hakainde Hichilema filed his nomination at the party Secretariat at about 15:30 hours. The filing of his nomination was witnessed by Provincial chairpersons from all the ten provinces littered across the country.
Lusaka province chairperson Obvious Mwaliteta said there is no other person who has come to challenge the candidature of Mr. Hakainde Hichilema. He said the province is looking forward to begin the campaigns and ensure that President Hichilema wins the Presidential elections.
The requirement for the nomination of the President is that one province nominates a seconded by the five. The nominating province are Muchinga province represented by Rev. Matthews Chilekwa chairman for Muchinga province. UPND Chairperson for elections Garry Nkombo approved the nomination of Hichilema as 2021 UPND Presidential candidate. He said this time is defining moment for the opposition party.
He said the persons that intend to contest the position of the Party President the UPND has appointed independent commissioners to run the elections from the civil society election to conduct transparency, those interested party will not take advantage of the process.
The nominations were opened yesterday at 16 hours and will close on 6the February 2021 after which the Commission will close. From yesterday 83 nominations for the position of NMC and now others will file nomination for the position of president.