Zambia: FAZ election scandal as president is re-elected... before the vote

"It's the joke of the century!" In Zambia, Keith Mweemba, a lawyer by training and one of the nine declared candidates, could not believe his ears, and nor could much of the assembly gathered in Lusaka.

The head of the FAZ electoral committee, Ronald Hatoongo, then announced that the lists of all candidates except that of the incumbent president, Andrew Kamanga, had been invalidated, followed by the outright re-election of Kamanga for a further four years, before the official election date and before any potential appeals from the eight individuals rejected at first instance!

New complaint against Kamanga, already under investigation for money laundering

Officially, the eight candidates have until 22 February to lodge an appeal with the appeals committee. Even if the appeal is rejected, they can also bring a case before CAS.

Yet despite these options, which are provided for in the statutes of every FIFA-affiliated federation, the chairman of the FAZ electoral committee declared Andrew Kamanga president once again.

Furious at this kind of method, one of the candidates, Yours Godfrey Chikumbi, has filed a complaint against Kamanga, his general secretary (Reuben Kamanga) and the chairman of the electoral committee with the anti-corruption agency for "alteration, forgery and complicity in alleged corrupt practices."

Read also: Zambia: Football federation president Andrew Kamanga arrested

As a reminder, Kamanga and his general secretary were arrested last year in connection with a case of embezzlement and money laundering. He remains under investigation, which has not stopped him from running for a seat on the FIFA Council, where he officially has the backing of his regional association (COSAFA) and CECAFA.

Romain MOLINA