ALL People’s Congress Party president Nason Msoni says the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) frustrated his bid for presidency.
The ECZ asked Msoni to present all supporters from the 10 provinces in Lusaka on Thursday after he had asked for additional time to mobilise.
However Msoni did not manage to file even after bringing in supporters from the other nine provinces.
He told #Kalemba that he spent over K500,000 on the field presidential nomination.
He said the ECZ had provided a shoddy service and must refund him.
Msoni complained that the ECZ treated him and Kalabi Musuwa who failed to file his nomination as an independent presidential candidate unfairly.
“The ECZ had made it practically impossible for the two candidates to transport their supporters from various provinces to Lusaka in a space of two days time ahead of the nomination,” he said.
Msoni said after spending the commission denied him and Kalabi the chance to file their nominations despite transporting supporters from all 10 provinces and accommodating them in Lusaka.
“The behaviour of the ECZ amounted to obtaining money by false pretence. You don’t shift goal posts when the game has already started playing,” he said.
He also urged the ECZ to take responsibility for Masuwa’s stranded 100 supporters who had ferried to Lusaka.
He said the situation could have been avoided had the electoral officials not been abruptly withdrawn from the provinces.
“It is certainly not fair to apportion the blame on the candidate alone as this was the making of the ECZ,” he said.
Msoni demanded that ECZ refunds him his K95,000 nomination fee.
“Am completely dissatisfied with the shoddy service rendered to me in the circumstances. It is legitimate to demand a refund. I expected better service than the ill treatment I received at the hands of the ECZ,” he said.
“I’m not desperate for the money but I think that’s the right thing to do. The can’t have it both ways.They didn’t facilitate but frustrated my candidacy.”
Meanwhile Msoni clarified that at no time did he suggest that he would go in an alliance with the ruling Patriotic Front as had been reported.
©Kalemba May 27, 2021
