17 ASPIRANTS EXPRESS INTEREST IN THE ZAMBIAN REPUBLICAN PRESIDENCY

Seventeen presidential candidates are expected to contest this year’s presidential election.

This is according to a drawn up timetable for the filing of presidential nominations released by the Electoral Commission of Zambia Public Relations Manager, Cris Akufuna.

The period for filing of presidential nominations has also been extended from Sunday, 7^th August to 12^th August, 2011.

The ECZ says in a statement that this follows consultations with aspiring presidential candidates yesterday.

Mr Akufuna says aspiring presidential candidates will lodge their nominations papers at the Supreme Court before the Chief Justice who is the returning officer.

He says the Forum for Democracy and Development presidential candidate will be first to file nominations together with presidential candidates from UNIP and Zambians for Empowerment and Development on 7^th August.

On Monday, 8^th August presidential candidates from the UPND, NAREP and National Movement for Progress will file nominations, while on Tuesday, 9^th August candidates from the Patriotic Front, National Revolution party, and Alliance for Democracy and Development, will lodge their nominations.

Presidential candidates from the MMD, People’s Redemption Party and Zambia Direct Democracy Movement will file nominations on Wednesday, 10^th August, with those from the Heritage party, United Nationalists Party and the Zambian Conservative Party filing nominations on Thursday, 11^th August.

Candidates from the Zambia Progressive Party and Revolutionary Communist Party will complete the nomination process on Friday, 12^th August, 2011.