THE Local Government Elections Tribunal has dismissed an application by Lusaka Mayor-elect Simon Mwewa seeking to have the mayoral election petition thrown out. Mwewa, through his lawyers, had raised preliminary issues over the filing and service of the petition, arguing that Gabriel Kibombwe had failed to comply with rule 11 (5) of the Local Government Elections Tribunal rules, which requires personal service of an election petition on the respondents. Mwewa’s lawyers further argued that the petition was not personally served on Mwewa and that Kibombwe had failed to present facts he intended to rely upon in the petition filed before the tribunal. And the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), through its lawyer, also asked the tribunal to dismiss the petition...