State House rejects claims HH blocked election petitions
… dismisses opposition allegations of executive interference
By DAVID KANDUZA
STATE House has strongly refuted allegations that President Hakainde Hichilema ordered the closure of courts on Monday, August 24, 2026, to block opposition parties from filing election petitions.
In a Press release, Communications Chief Specialist Clayson Hamasaka described the claims as entirely inconsistent with Zambia’s constitutional order and available facts.
According to State House, Monday’s disruptions were part of a broader, preventive security operation.
“A precautionary measure applied across several arms and departments of Government cannot reasonably be presented as an operation aimed at a single litigant,” Mr Hamasaka stated.
He emphasised that the suspension of court operations was not unprecedented, citing administrative closures during the pandemic.
State House also challenged the timing of the opposition’s grievances.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia declared the presidential election results on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
Courts remained open and processed filings for several working days afterward, during which no presidential petitions were logged.
“The law fixes the outer limit of the filing period; it does not require a petitioner to wait until its final hours to approach the court,” the statement noted.
Mr Hamasaka challenged critics to produce copies of the prepared petitions alongside evidence of the blocked filing attempts.
The press release highlighted what it termed a ‘remarkable irony’ in the outcry.
It noted that some critics demanding judicial access had previously fled the country or sought refuge abroad when summoned by the same courts.
State House concluded by reaffirming President Hichilema’s commitment to the separation of powers, stating that political disappointment could not justify blaming independent institutional decisions on the Head of State.
Judge people by their actions not by their words.