United Party for National Development(UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has asked for an hour from the Constitutional Court bench currently sitting to make consultation before he can represent himself in his petition case after his lawyers walked out in protest.
The lawyers decided to withdrew from the case after the court refused to extend the time to hear the case. They stated that the time is insufficient for them to carry out their task. They were only given two hours to present their case.
The Court accepted the lawyers’ requested to be rescued from the case. During the proceeding, the Court threatened lawyer Martha Mushipe with contempt of the court after her exchange with the one of the lawyers representing the respondents.
Hichilema then took the stand and addressed the Court throwing the blamed at the Court for the failure of his Case. He also accused the Court of failing to rule on the application his lawyers made regarding who should exercise executive functions during the period of the Petition.
The Court had given 14 days in which the Petition could be heard as provided for in the Constitution.
Hichilema also blamed what he termed a single Judge,who the Constitutional Court tasked to hear preliminary matters. He stated that he had gone to seek Justice but had been failed by the Court.
The UPND leader requested for an hour to make some consultation before he could state his position.
The Constitutional Court is expected to close this case by midnight today.
This is in a case where Hichilema and his running mate Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba are challenging the declaration of Lungu as winner of the August 11 elections.