KALABA RAISES ALARM OVER CREDIBILITY OF AUGUST 2026 GENERAL ELECTIONS
..partisan appointments to ECZ, Judiciary threatens the holding of democratic, credible, transparent, peaceful, free and fair elections…
Friday-10th April 2026
Citizen First Party President, Hon. Harry Kalaba has expressed deep concerns over the state of the electoral process ahead of the general elections scheduled for August 13th 2026.
He has expressed doubt that Zambia may not hold democratic, credible, transparent, peaceful, free and fair elections in light of activities that undermine the electoral process being perpetrated by the Executive ahead of the elections.
In his letter to international organizations and international bodies that include SADC, African Union, EU, USA and others, Kalaba stated that actions by President Hakainde Hichilema are designed to deeply undermine democratic and independent institutions such as the Electoral Commission of Zambia(ECZ) the Judiciary and the Zambia Police.
He has cited the composition of the ECZ which has been packed with ruling party cadres.
He stated that the ECZ should be a neutral, objective and unbiased independent institution in order for it to conduct democratic, transparent, credible, peaceful, free and fair elections, and in order to meet acceptable international standards of an election.
President Hichilema has made new appointments to the ECZ and 40 judges to superiors courts ahead of the 2026 General Elections.
Prior to this the actions of the Police to deny civic and political rights to political parties and CSO was of concern.
The issuance of national identity (NRC) and voter registration was marred with accusations of voter suppression in areas where the Opposition was deemed to be strong.
Below is one of the letters that Hon. Kalaba has written;
10th April 2026
His Excellency Évariste Ndayishimiye
President of the Republic of Burundi
Chairperson of the African Union
Your Excellency,
RE: Concerns Regarding the Integrity of the Electoral Process in Zambia
I have the honour to address you in your esteemed capacity as Chairperson of the African Union.
Your Excellency, as you may recall, the Republic of Zambia has maintained an admirable record of conducting credible, free, and fair elections since the advent of multi-party democracy in 1991, with peaceful transitions of power.
However, it is with deep concern that I bring to your attention recent developments under the administration of His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, which threaten to undermine this longstanding democratic tradition. We have growing fears that the forthcoming elections scheduled for August 13, 2026, will not meet the standards of credibility, transparency, and fairness.
Concerns regarding the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ):
1. The Electoral Commission of Zambia is constitutionally mandated to consist of five commissioners appointed by the President.
2. The current composition of the Commission raises serious concerns regarding inclusiveness and regional balance. For the past year, the four serving commissioners have come from the same region, undermining national geographical representation.
3. Of these four commissioners, two are strongly affiliated with the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).
4. On April 9, 2026—just one week before the commencement of presidential nominations—the President appointed a fifth commissioner, who is known to be aligned with the UPND and has been aspiring to stand on its ticket as a Member of Parliament. Making changes this late in the electoral process coupled with partisan appointments results in three out of five commissioners being affiliated with the ruling party.
This situation represents an unprecedented development in Zambia’s 60-year history and raises serious concerns about the integrity and impartiality of the electoral body.
Concerns regarding potential exclusion of political parties:
Your Excellency, Presidential candidates’ nomination period starts next week on 15th April and while that is taking place, the ECZ is advancing an electoral bill that may disqualify political parties based on alleged failure to demonstrate intra-party democracy, such as holding general conferences and registering office bearers. Late introduction of such bills to parliament may result in disenfranchisement and exclusion of political parties as well as voters.
Further, Governments compliance administrative processes under the Registrar of Societies have proven excessively onerous. In my own case, despite holding a general conference on December 7, 2024, the registration process took approximately 11 months, with certification only completed in November 2025, to render us ready to participate in the August 13, 2026 polls.
Your Excellency, as you may know, free, fair, and transparent elections are the cornerstone of democracy and are firmly enshrined in the principles of the African Union, including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. Any perceived compromise in electoral integrity not only threatens national stability but also undermines confidence in democratic systems across the continent.
Request for intervention:
Considering the above, we respectfully appeal to Your Excellency to:
• Dispatch an urgent fact-finding or observer mission to Zambia.
• Engage with your counterpart, His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, on the need to safeguard electoral integrity.
• Encourage measures to restore public confidence in the independence of the Electoral Commission; and
• Urge reconsideration for reversal of the recent commissioner appointment, notwithstanding the politically inclined nature of the latest appointee, but particularly the timing in the electoral cycle rendering inadequate time to train, orient and learn the roles and importance of the ECZ.
Your Excellency, Zambia has long stood as a beacon of democratic stability in Africa. It is our earnest hope that, with your timely intervention, this proud legacy can be preserved.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.
Yours faithfully,
Harry Kalaba
President, Citizens First Party Zambia
Former Foreign Affairs Minister