CCMG Raises Questions Over 2026 Presidential Results, Calls for Review
Independent assessment says Hichilema won, but flags discrepancies in 30 constituencies.
The Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) has called for an immediate review of aspects of Zambia’s 2026 presidential election results, following an independent assessment that identified significant discrepancies between its sampled polling-station data and the official results announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
In a statement issued on 20 August 2026, CCMG said it deployed 1,500 stationary observers across a nationally representative sample of polling stations in every province, district and constituency under its Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology.
Of the 1,500 sampled polling stations, CCMG received results from 1,491 stations, representing 99.4 percent of its sample.
According to the assessment, the PRVT estimated voter turnout at 53.5 percent, with a margin of error of ±0.6 percent. This represents a substantial decline from the 70.6 percent turnout recorded in the 2021 presidential election.
The assessment further estimated that President Hakainde Hichilema received 56.0 percent ±1.7 percent of the presidential vote, while Brian Mundubile received 42.3 percent ±1.7 percent. Other presidential candidates were each estimated to have received no more than 0.5 percent of the vote.
CCMG also estimated rejected ballots at 2.8 percent ±0.1 percent.
Despite the discrepancies it identified, CCMG said its findings clearly indicate that President Hichilema received the highest number of presidential votes and surpassed the constitutional 50 percent threshold required for victory.
However, the organisation noted that the official results for voter turnout, Hichilema and Mundubile do not fall within the ranges established by its independent PRVT estimates.
CCMG attributed the differences to what it described as 30 problematic constituencies, where official turnout figures were significantly above the upper limit of the PRVT estimate, accompanied by increased votes for UPND.
The monitoring group observed a notable contrast between these constituencies and the rest of the country.
According to CCMG, the 30 constituencies recorded an average 6 percent increase in turnout compared with 2021, while the remaining 196 constituencies recorded an average 15 percent decrease.
Importantly, CCMG said the variances it identified do not alter the overall outcome of the presidential election.
Nevertheless, the organisation said the discrepancies warrant further investigation, particularly because of their potential implications for the allocation of proportional representation seats.
The organisation therefore called on the ECZ to immediately release all 226 Records of Proceedings at the Totalling of Votes for both the presidential and constituency-based parliamentary elections.
It also urged the Commission to publish images of the GEN20 forms from all 13,529 polling stations, allowing stakeholders and the public to independently verify the figures.
CCMG said the ECZ should work with political parties and civil society organisations to establish an appropriate and expeditious mechanism for addressing the discrepancies and ensuring that the official results accurately reflect the ballots cast by voters.
While raising concerns over the discrepancies, CCMG appealed to political parties and candidates to remain calm and peaceful.
The organisation urged all those with concerns regarding the election to pursue available legal and constitutional mechanisms for redress, rather than resorting to confrontation or violence.
“These have been extremely challenging elections,” CCMG observed, while calling for transparent, inclusive and technically sound electoral and regulatory reforms to strengthen Zambia’s electoral processes. The statement concluded with an appeal to all Zambians to remain calm and peaceful.
The Church Newspaper Zambia