Antonio Mwanza outlines provincial voting strategy ahead of 2026 elections
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Antonio Mwanza has highlighted the importance of maximizing voter turnout in political strongholds while limiting losses in opposition-leaning regions, describing the approach as key to winning Zambia’s 2026 General Election.
Lusaka, 4 August – Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Antonio Mwanza has shared his assessment of Zambia’s electoral landscape, identifying provinces that he believes will play a decisive role in determining the outcome of the country’s next general election.
In an analysis published on his social media platforms, Mwanza broke down the country’s registered voter distribution by province, arguing that political parties should focus on increasing voter participation in areas where they enjoy strong support while minimizing defeats in regions considered less favourable.
According to Mwanza, the combined voting population of Southern, Western and North-Western provinces stands at 2,256,822 voters, while Luapula, Northern and Muchinga provinces account for a combined 1,852,620 voters.
He further noted that Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces together represent the country’s largest voting bloc, with a combined 2,727,335 voters, making them critical battlegrounds for any party seeking to form government.
Mwanza also described Eastern Province, with 1,129,444 voters, as a “swing province” capable of influencing the national outcome depending on voter preferences.
Meanwhile, Central Province, which has 820,079 voters, was characterised as a “battleground province”, where competition between major political parties is expected to be intense.
The DPP leader said electoral success would largely depend on a party’s ability to mobilise supporters in its traditional strongholds while ensuring losses in weaker regions remain within manageable margins.
“The key is to significantly push voter turnout and win by large margins in your strongholds, while losing with respectable margins in your weakholds,” Mwanza stated.
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