• UNITED Party for National Development president Hakainde Hichilema (second right) flanked by his wife Mutinta (right) filing his presidential nomination papers as acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda (centre, left) and Electoral Commission of Zambia chairperson Ireen Mambilima (third left) look on at the Supreme Court in Lusaka yesterday. UNIP president Tilyenji Kaunda and

By DELPHINE ZULU –
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema, UNIP president Tilyenji Kaunda and Fourth Revolution Party’s Eric Chanda have all filed their nominations for the January 20, 2015 presidential election.
Mr Hichilema said his vision was to unite Zambia after the January 20 presidential election.
Mr Hichilema, who addressed thousands of supporters outside the Supreme Court soon after filling-in his nomination, said God had given him a task of uniting the Zambian people regardless of their political affiliation.
“This is God given time, I am confident that this is our time to rule Zambia and we shall ensure that it is united because we are one Zambia, one people,” he said.
Mr Hichilema, who was clad in a grey suit and his wife Mutinta in a green suit, declared his K63.9 million assets.
Earlier, Mr Kaunda had declared a property in Roma valued at K1.5 million, a Nissan Patrol worth US$10,000 and 50 per cent shares in Epsion Freight International Limited.
Making his declaration before Acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda and Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson Irene Mambilima, Mr Kaunda said he had no liabilities.
Mr Kaunda later said in an interview that Zambians must uphold peace during the election and that UNIP had taken a leading example by being peaceful in all its dealings.
“You my fellow politicians ensure that you are calm during and after these elections, campaign peacefully because Zambia had been a peaceful country,” Mr Kaunda said.
Mr Kaunda denied assertions that UNIP was a Kaunda family dynasty and explained that the former ruling party was at some point run by non-Kaunda family members like Kebby Musokotwane, Mr Francis Nkhoma and Rabson Chongo after former President Kenneth Kaunda left in 2000.
Mr Chanda described his filing of his nomination as a turning point for Zambia because the country had a youthful and visionary leader.
“I am thankful to all those who came to support us and witness a Zambia that will change the economy of this country, a Zambia where local investors and vendors shall be given a chance to occupy all the shops and take all foreigners to manufacturing companies,” he said.
Other candidates who have filed their nominations so far are Ludwig Sondashi of the Forum for Democratic Alternatives, Edith Nawakwi on the Forum for Democracy and Development ticket, National Restoration Party’s Elias Chipimo and Green Partys Pater Sinkamba.
Poor People’s Party leader Alex Muliokela was turned away on grounds that his party did not register with the Registrar of Societies while People’s Redemption Party president Gerry Sikazwe pulled out and decided to support the Patriotic Front.