ZAMBIA: SUPREME COURT IN LUSAKA UPHOLDS CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION OF PRESIDENT LEVY MWANWASA

Record ID: 646661

  • Title: ZAMBIA: SUPREME COURT IN LUSAKA UPHOLDS CONTROVERSIAL ELECTION OF PRESIDENT LEVY MWANWASA
  • Date: 16th February 2005
  • Summary: (W3) LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (FEBRUARY 16, 2005) (REUTERS) DAY SHOTS 1. CU: SIGNPOST OF THE SUPREME COURT 0.10 2. WS: SUPREME COURT BUILDING WHERE JUDGEMENT WAS PASSED FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL PETITION 0.23 3. SUPPORTERS OF ZAMBIA'S RULING MOVEMENT FOR MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRACY (MMD) MARCHING AND SINGING IN THE STREETS OF LUSAKA (3 SHOTS) 0.47 4. VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF THE OPPOSITION UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (UPND) SINGING AND DANCING (3 SHOTS) 1.09 5. POLICE PATROLLING OUTSIDE THE SUPREME COURT 1.17 6. SCU: MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY (UPND) PRESIDENT ANDERSON MAZOKA LEAVING THE SUPREME COURT WHEN THE COURT ADJOURNED FOR LUNCH BREAK (2 SHOTS) 1.29 7. OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBER GODFREY MIYANDA AND HIS WIFE ANGELA LEAVING THE SUPREME COURT 1.40 8. SCU: OPPOSITION PARTY (UPND) VICE PRESIDENT SAKWIBA SIKOTA AND RULING MMD NATIONAL SECRETARY VERNON MWANGA 1.50 9. SUPPORTERS WAVING THROUGH FENCE 1.58 10. POLICE CONTROLLING SUPPORTERS OF THE RULING (MMD) PARTY 2.11 NIGHTSHOTS) 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OPPOSITION LAWYER CHIFUMU SAYING: "Because the court has agreed that the elections were not conducted well by the electoral commission, they have further stated that the electoral commission was guilty of dereliction of duty, therefore as a nation we need to re-organise the electoral commission." 2.27 12. RULING PARTY (MMD) SUPPORTERS SINGING AS THEY CELEBRATE THE OUTCOME 2.34 13. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VERNON MWANGA, MMD NATIONAL SECRETARY SAYING: "It is a triumph for the law and order, an indication for independence of the judges. This is a petition that has created a lot of anxieties in the country." 2.50 14. SCU: RULING PARTY (MMD) SUPPORTERS CELEBRATING THE OUTCOME OF THE PRESIDENTIAL PETITION 2.57 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 3rd March 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
  • Country: Zambia
  • Reuters ID: LVA5H3K067B1Q06KFGRJFN8BDQM0
  • Story Text: Zambia's supreme court upholds the controversial
    election of President Levy Mwanwasa.


    Zambia's Supreme Court on Wednesday (February 17)
    upheld the controversial election of President Levy
    Mwanawasa, saying irregularities in the 2001 polls did not
    detract from the poll's validity as claimed by the
    opposition.

    In a decision which headed off fears of a
    constitutional crisis in the southern African country, the
    court agreed that Mwanawasa had been duly elected and
    should remain in power until the next election in 2006.

    Political analysts had warned the case could push
    Zambia into a legal quandary over who should be head of
    state if the court had found the 2001 election which
    brought Mwanawasa to power was illegitimate.

    Mwanawasa's lawyers had warned any move to nullify the
    election and strip him of power would be "catastrophic",
    and added the president did not consider it in the court's
    power to declare election results void.

    Christon Tembo, the leader of the opposition Forum for
    Democracy and Development, reacted with anger even before
    Sakala had finished giving his verdict.

    "The judiciary is on trial itself," Tembo told Reuters
    as he stormed out of the courtroom shortly before Sakala
    concluded reading the judgement.

    Earlier on Wednesday police fired tear gas at brawling
    political opponents outside the Supreme Court, moving to
    separate supporters of Mwanawasa's ruling Movement for Multi-Party
    Demo
    cracy (MMD) and opposition parties.

    Opposition parties brought a case three years ago
    challenging Mwanawasa's electoral victory, charging that
    the vote was rigged and that the MMD used state funds to
    purchase campaign vehicles, a violation of Zambian law.

    The opposition lawyer Chifumu said a revision of the
    electoral system is required,
    "Because the court has agreed that the elections were
    not conducted well by the electoral commission, they have
    further stated that the electoral commission was guilty of
    dereliction of duty, therefore as a nation we need to
    re-organise the electoral commission," he told Reuters.

    Mwanawasa's lawyers have denied that the election was
    rigged but have not answered the charge over the vehicles
    in court.

    Legal analysts said the case was especially fraught for
    Zambia because the country's constitution has not set
    provision for who should step in if a court rules an
    election to be invalid.

    As supporters of the ruling party celebrated Vernon
    Mwanga, MMD National Secretary said: "It is a triumph for
    the law and order, an indication for independence of the
    judges. This is a petition that has created a lot of
    anxieties in the country."
    Mwanawasa, who plans to run for a second term in 2006,
    has led a major anti-corruption campaign targeting former
    senior officials including his predecessor Frederick
    Chiluba but has also conceded that he has not done enough
    to fight widespread poverty.





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