Time taken to dispose off election petitions worries FODEP

FODEP Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has expressed sadness with the time being taken for electoral petitions to be disposed off.

On Friday, The Supreme Court nullified the election of Patrick Mucheleka as Lubansenshi Independent Member of Parliament following the appeal made by Lazarus Chota who contested the Lubansenshi parliamentary seat in 2011 on the PF ticket.

The High Court had upheld Mr. Mucheleka’s victory in the Parliamentary election.

But FODEP Executive Director Macdonald Chipenzi says the country cannot have a situation where a petition goes for four years citing that it is the worst injustice that a democratic country can talk about.

Mr. Chipenzi notes that the justice system in the country needs urgent reform as the taking long of petitions to be disposed off is a torture and an injustice to the people involved.

He adds that the judiciary should not be part of the injustice but must be above the injustices so that when people are looking for justice, they are able to find it in the judiciary.

Mr. Chipenzi further states that once reformed, many people will be encouraged to seek justice unlike the case is now where people know that it will take long for their petitions to be attended to.