By 
TONSE Alliance Chairperson, Edgar Lungu, has accused President Hakainde Hichilema’s government of undermining democracy and good governance by attempting to reverse a key Constitutional Court decision.
A Lusaka lawyer is challenging the 2020 Constitutional Court ruling that allowed Cabinet ministers to remain in government and on payroll after Parliament’s dissolution, seeking to have it quashed.
In a statement issued on Sunday evening, Lungu pointed out that in 2016, Hichilema and others had successfully challenged a similar decision by the Concourt, arguing that the current constitution required ministers to relinquish their positions once Parliament was dissolved three months before elections.
Lungu recalled that in 2020, the Concourt ruled in their favor, leading to the Patriotic Front government’s compliance with the decision. This included ministers refunding the government all emoluments received during that period.
“The court emphasized that this law ensures a fair political playing field for candidates in the next elections,” Lungu said.
He described the potential reversal of this decision as “shocking, annoying, and disappointing,” accusing it of being part of an ongoing assault on Zambia’s judiciary, democracy, and constitutionalism.
“Ladies and gentlemen, wake up. What happened on December 10, 2024, when the newly reconstituted Concourt barred me from contesting the 2026 elections, is about to happen again through this Hichilema-sponsored proxy,” Lungu warned.
He criticized President Hichilema’s actions as a direct attack on the constitution and the judiciary, expressing concern over the erosion of Zambia’s hard-earned democracy.
Lungu urged Zambians to take a stand against this legal challenge, calling for peaceful demonstrations and legal action to stop the UPND-sponsored petition, which he believes could undermine the principle of separation of powers and endanger Zambia’s democratic integrity.
“I warned on December 10, 2024, that the decision to bar me transcended my personal fate. It signals the erosion of judicial independence, weakening democratic foundations, and the weaponization of our institutions for short-term gains,” Lungu added.
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