“ECZ’S CURRENT CONDUCT IS A RECIPE FOR POLITICAL TURMOIL AHEAD OF 2026.”
3rd December, 2026.
We in the Patriotic Front would like to sincerely congratulate the winners in the just ended by-elections. In particular we thank our candidate and the entire campaign team and the entire leadership for the hard work in scooping the by-election in Kabuta Ward of Nchelenge Town Council in Luapula Province, amidst heightened provocation and underhand schemes by the UPND aimed at rigging. I convey congratulatory words on behalf of our party President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu and we encourage all party structures to take a queue from this as we have been instructed to begin a rigorous mobilisation programs country wide.
Much as the UPND may have been declared temporal winners in the polls in – Mwembeshi Ward of Nsama Town Council in Northern Province and Sankolonga Ward of Mwandi Town Council in Western Province. We want to warn them to desist from engaging in undemocratic schemes aimed at undermining the democratic history of our country through manipulation, corruption, vote buying and ferrying of voters. Using money and farming inputs to woo voters only works temporarily but it sutely only blinds those in leadership against the true realities on the ground. It is better to lose honorably than celebrate a fake win because it will open your eyes. From the video evidence which surfaced on social media platforms implicating both the UPND and ECZ in heinous acts aimed at rigging the election in favor of UPND, is cause enough to nullify the Mwembeshi Ward by-election.
Both the ECZ and UPND connived to abrogate the electoral code of conduct in full view of alert citizens.
We have received numerous reports of widespread intimidation by the UPND. Unfortunately, the ECZ which was supposed to be a neutral referee, was found wanting in playing accomplice to the UPND manouvres beginning with the nominations.
We want to sound a stern warning to the current leadership at ECZ, that this conduct we are witnessing has persisted since the UPND took over government, therefore we want to call upon the donor community on whose funds elections are conducted to take keen interest with what is happening in Zambia because this has the potential to rob us the peace we have enjoyed since independence. We have already declared that the current leadership at ECZ is compromised and unfit to conduct a free and fair election in this country. Until the cadres are weeded out, as a party we will wage a vicous campaign against them in order that the entire ECZ leadership is disbanded ahead of the 2026 general elections. ECZ must know that they do not operate in a vacuum, but they are called to work within the agreed framework at both international and regional standards of practice. Therefore, as a crucial stakeholder we shall not stand by and watch ECZ being reduced to a branch of UPND as we witnessed in KABUSHI and KWACHA by-elections. ECZ has been a critical independent institution that has remarkably harnessed our democracy in the past, thereby delivering peaceful power transitions unique for our region. This has been due to the high level of professionalism, independence, and credibility that has been associated with the ECZ. This has earned it international accolades and is a shinning example, however the current leadership has the potential to cost us our nations’ peace. They have time without number blatantly carried out partisan instructions without recourse to the law. Unfortunately, the appointment by Mr Hakainde Hichilema of known numerous bonafide cadres of the UPND to the management of ECZ, has brought not only cadresism but partisan interests which if not tamed in good time will result in a regrettable catastrophic political turmoil in this country.
We want to thank the people in the various wards for exercising maximum restraint. These elections were marred with violence occasioned by the UPND in both Nsama and Nchelenge brought in through the Minister of Youth and Sport Elvis Nkandu and other ministers who were captured in the acts. The UPND has continued to use voilence and intimidation to manipulate elections in full view of the ECZ that made no decent effort to reprimand or suspend them from participating in the elections as prescribed in the code of conduct.
We invite and make a clarion call on the international community, church motherbodies, Law Association of Zambia and civil society organisations to take keen interest in the conduct of the ECZ by observing these by-elections. It is from this that we can gauge the credibility and readiness of ECZ to guarantee civil peace before, during and after the elections in 2026.
Hon. Raphael Mangani Nakacinda
SECRETARY GENERAL
PATRIOTIC FRONT
Look who is crying! The careless driver never complained about PF – ECZ.
You have never stood in an election and won your whole life! So what have seen that has changed that can push you commit crimes. Go ahead with your premeditated crimes, the law will be waiting for you on the other end. Don’t cry foul when they catch.
Unfortunately, the behavior of UPND is similar to PF when they were in government if not worse. Therefore, Nakachinda, just keep quiet. What goes around comes around.