Zambians will not respect ConCourt decision to bar ECL in 2026 – Sinkamba

By ROGERS KALERO

ANY decision that the Constitutional Court is going to make tomorrow, if different from its past four decisions on the eligibility of Zambia’s Sixth President Edgar Lungu shall be unconstitutional, illegal, and null and void,” Peter Sinkamba has charged.

Mr Sinkamba has warned Zambians will not respect and comply with the decision that will disqualify former President Lungu from contesting the 2026 general election because according to him, the Constitution, in Article 2 imposes a duty on every person in Zambia to resist any unconstitutional act by the government.

Mr Sinkamba, the Green Party president and People’s Pact Chairman said the Constitutional Court had no jurisdiction to review its decisions and any decision that it will pronounce tomorrow, to depart from its earlier four judgements shall not be accepted because it would have been politically be tainted.

He said televising former President Lungu’s ruling by the Constitutional Court will not make any difference because the lacked jurisdiction to review its decisions.

“The Constitution Court lacks jurisdiction to review its decisions. In justice system, jurisdiction is everything.  So, really for us, it doesn’t matter whether the court will read the judgment in camera or live on TV and radio.  That won’t make a difference. Any decision that the Constitutional court makes which is different from its first decision on the issue, that decision will be unconstitutional, illegal, and null and void. For that reason, no one will respect and comply with it because the Constitution in Article 2 imposes a duty on every person in Zambia to resist any unconstitutional act,” Mr Sinkamba said

Mr Sinkamba has in the recent past expressed concern at the way the judiciary has been compromised to serve the interests of the few individuals in the ruling party instead of serving the interests of the majority Zambians.

Mr Sinkamba said the Courts had been a letdown in the way they had been handling issues relating to the Patriotic Front (PF) and has since cautioned the judiciary to pull up its socks and save the country from being plunged into turmoil.

He warned that law and order had completely collapsed in many countries where law enforcement agencies had become compromised and chosen to serve the interest of the few individuals and the elite in ruling parties.

“The judiciary to pull up its socks before the once peaceful nation can collapse. Many countries have collapsed because of a compromised judiciary which serves individuals instead of serving the interests of the majority citizens,” he said

Mr Sinkamba has also rubbished the perception that a former President Lungu could not contest and win an election, stating that the decision on who should be voted into government was in the hands of citizens who usually make decisions depending on the performance of any government.

Mr Sinkamba said citizens shall decide to re-elect former President Lungu depending on his previous performance after realising that he was a better leader compared to those who were currently in government.

Mr Sinkamba has since warned the judiciary and other law enforcement agencies to desist from being compromised, but instead uphold the rule of law and democracy.

He cautioned that a compromised judiciary was a recipe of anarchy and civil strife in most countries in the world because people lose confidence in institutions of good governance judiciary and often decide to take the law into their own hands.

He said, it was disappointing that the UPND government was focusing on fixing its perceived political rivals and critics when people were expecting it to deal with the biting load shedding, worsening poverty and hunger