The Constitutional Court has set January 18, 2018 for hearing in the matter in which a Kabangwe resident asked it to declare 53 UPND MP’s seats vacant for boycotting president Edgar Lungu’s address to Parliament.

In this case, Richard Mumba, the petitioner had asked the ConCourt to declare the seats vacant for misconduct arguing that the parliamentarians breached oath of allegiance to the President as per standing order 8 of 2016.

The petitioner further prayed to the court that the 53 MPs should not be allowed to re-contest their seats during the life of the current Parliament provided for in article 72(2) (C) and Article 72 (4) of the Constitution.

But the opposition MPs wanted the petition to struck out as the petition and the affidavit verifying facts did not disclose any cause of action against the respondents capable of being sustained by the court.

However, ConCourt judge Enoch Mulembe ordered that the matter proceed for full determination saying the questions raised were fit for investigations.

He said there were important Constitutional matters that included the question of jurisdiction hence setting the date for hearing the matter.

Meanwhile, Lusaka High Court judge Matthew Zulu has set February 7, 2018 for inter parte hearing in a case in which Roan PF member of parlaiment Chishimba Kambwili sued President Lungu’s press aide Amos Chanda for defamation.