By MICHELO HIMAAMBO –
THE amended Constitution has continued to inspire debate in the country.
The Constitution contains new provisions that include the requirement for presidential candidates to be accompanied by at least 1,000 supporters when filing their nomination papers.
According to the Constitution, the supporters should be drawn from all the provinces, at least 100 from each of the country’s ten provinces.
This is according to article number 100(1) (J) of the Constitution.
This simply means that a presidential candidate should be supported by at least one hundred registered voters from each of the ten provinces in the country which should amount to 1,000 supporters.
Anything less than that number, disqualifies the presidential candidate from running for the presidency.
This should be of interest to political parties which, in previous elections, did not need supporters to come from outside Lusaka.
The question that arises in this case is whether the political parties sponsoring presidential candidates would manage to get a hundred party supporters from all the provinces.
Opposition Fourth Revolution Party leader Eric Chanda said he already has over 1,000 supporters and was ready to take part in the elections.
“The required 1,000 supporters to stand as a presidential candidate will not stop my party from contesting. We are ready come rain come sunshine, we will take part in the elections this year because we have more than that number,” Mr Chanda said.
The opposition party leader said the amended Constitution was a guiding light for all political parties and that he is expecting all parties to adhere to it.
“I am happy with the clauses in the Constitution. I will not form an alliance with any party because I have my own political ambitions which could not be shared with anyone else,” he told the media.
Mr Chanda said political views and ideas differ from one party to another so according to him, it would not be normal to form alliances.
Opposition People’s Party leader Mike Mulongoti said the 1,000 supporters was not an issue for his party as he had travelled in all provinces and was aware that he had sufficient support.
Mr Mulongoti said the clause is unnecessary, but he will abide with the provisions.
“Another party will rule and they will also have their own rules because there are people who are complaining about this Constitution but things change,”Mr Mulongoti said.
He said the Constitution, either bad or good, was law that governed a country, the sitting president had the right to change it.
“As I stated, there is no problem with me.
No clause in this amended Constitution will stop me from contesting in the elections because I have enough degrees,” he said.
Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) leader Nevers Mumba said he is glad that the Constitution had been amended and that he qualifies to stand as  president.
“Even with the clause of 1,000 supporters, we will still stand. We have the majority of supporters out there and in all provinces, and we still stand a chance because in all the provinces, we have more than 3.5 million supporters,” he said.
Dr Mumba said the former ruling party’s responsibility was to follow the rules in the Constitution regardless of whatever clauses.
He said the MMD will not fail to follow through the amended Constitution.
Among the many qualifications for presidential candidates are that, candidates must be citizens of the country (Zambia) by birth, must be resident in Zambia, must be at  least thirty-five years old and above, must be registered voters, must have obtained a Grade Twelve certificate or its equivalent, and must be fluent in the official language.
Candidates running in presidential elections should have paid their taxes or have made arrangements satisfactory to the appropriate tax authority for the payment of the taxes.
They should declare their assets and liabilities, as prescribed and pay election fee besides being accompanied by at least one hundred registered voters from each province.
The Constitution also says a person is disqualified from being nominated as a candidate for election as President if that person is a
public officer, has dual citizenship or is holding or acting in a constitutional office or other public office.
The candidature becomes null and void if the candidate is a judge or judicial officer or was removed from public office on grounds of gross misconduct,
has a mental or physical disability that would make him of her incapable of performing the executive functions;
The person could also be disqualified if he is declared bankrupt, is serving a sentence of imprisonment or has, in the immediate preceding five years, served a term of imprisonment of at least three years.
These are some of the factors that could disqualify a candidate from running in a presidential election.
The country is waiting to see which candidates will garner enough supporters to take part in the August 11 general elections.