By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE  –
NEW Labour Party president, Fresher Siwale has appeared in the Lusaka magistrate court charged with defamation of the President.
Siwale, 57, of house number 531 Mbawa Avenue, Chelstone, Lusaka is alleged to have published defamatory matter by word of mouth with intent to bring the name of the President into ridicule on April 22, 2018.
Siwale is alleged to have published words questioning the identity of Mr Lungu.
Principal magistrate, David Simusamba allocated the case to magistrate Alice Walusiku.
When the matter came up before Ms Walusiku yesterday, the state informed the court that it was not ready to proceed as the docket was not available.
Ms Walusiku adjourned the case to today and for an application for bail.
Meanwhile, Christian Democratic Party leader, Dan Pule and three others have insisted that Republican President Edgar Lungu is eligible to contest the 2021 Presidential elections.
Dr Pule and three others have contended that because the first term Mr Lungu served was not deemed to be a full term as he was finishing up a term left by the late President Michael Sata.
Dr Pule, Zambia Republican Party president, Wright Musona, New Congress Party leader Peter Chanda and Citizens Democratic Party president Robert Mwanza have asked the constitutional court to interpret the constitution and state whether or not Mr Lungu was eligible to contest in the 2021 Presidential elections.
In their reply to Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) and United Party for National Development submissions that Mr Lungu was not eligible to contest and hold office for another five years, they said that the issue of retroactivity did not arise on account that the term which was deemed not to be a full term was not completed at the time that the constitution was amended to introduce the rule that service of less than three years was not deemed to be a full term.
“President Lungu is eligible on a purposive interpretation of Article 106 (5) and Article 106 (6) as read with Article 106 (3) of the Constitution to contest the presidential elections,” they said.
The four have cited Attorney General as a respondent in the matter while LAZ and UPND through its secretary general, Stephen Katuta are second and third respondents.