Lusaka, – Zambia’s Constitutional Court has declared former President Edgar Lungu ineligible to run for another term, citing constitutional limits on the presidency. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, follows Lungu’s announcement last year that he was returning to active politics.
The court determined that Lungu’s first term, served between 2015 and 2016 after the death of then-President Michael Sata, constituted a full term. His second term spanned from September 2016 to August 2021, after which he lost to current President Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development in the 2021 elections.
“The first respondent, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, has therefore been twice elected and has twice held office,” the court ruled. “The constitution makes the first respondent ineligible to participate in any future elections as a presidential candidate.”
Lungu, a member of the Patriotic Front (PF) party, had hinted at a political comeback during a memorial service for Sata in October 2023, stating his intent to emerge from retirement. This announcement came amidst legal challenges involving his family, including the arrest of his wife, on allegations of possessing proceeds of crime.
The court session, which Lungu did not attend, was marked by a heavy police presence. PF spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling. “We are studying the matter. But we are gravely concerned by the court’s decision and ruling,” he said.
The decision closes the door on Lungu’s return to the presidency, reaffirming Zambia’s constitutional provisions on term limits.
Source: Reuters
