🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Mundubile Tells EU Zambia’s Electoral Environment “Not Free nor Fair”
Tonse Alliance leader and presidential aspirant Brian Mundubile has raised concerns over Zambia’s electoral environment, telling a European Union election monitoring delegation that the current political climate is not conducive for credible polls ahead of the August 13 general elections.
Speaking during a meeting in Lusaka, Mundubile argued that the country’s democratic space has narrowed significantly, warning that the credibility of the electoral process is at risk. His concerns focused heavily on the leadership of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), particularly Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis, whom he described as conflicted due to alleged political associations.
According to Mundubile, “how does one expect Mrs. Zaloumis… to oversee a free and fair election? It’s impossible.”
He further urged the EU team to consult reports from international and local bodies, including the US State Department, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Law Association of Zambia, and the UN Human Rights Commission, which he claims have highlighted concerns about Zambia’s democratic trajectory since 2021.
A central claim in his submission was the restriction of opposition political activity. Mundubile stated that opposition parties have not been allowed to hold public rallies, arguing that this undermines the fairness of the electoral playing field.
“Here I am as an opposition leader… we have never been allowed to hold a public rally. How can anyone claim we are heading into a free and fair election?” he said.
His remarks come amid ongoing legal challenges. Within recent days, Mundubile has faced a cybercrime charge and has also been questioned over alleged irregular payments linked to past transactions.
He suggested that such developments, including the reported confiscation of personal devices, risk affecting his political participation ahead of the elections.
Framing the issue more broadly, Mundubile cautioned that Zambia’s democratic standards are under pressure, stating that elections must be judged not only by voting day but by the entire process leading up to it.
“An election date is not the election… the election is the process,” he told the delegation.
The claims, however, remain those of the opposition, and authorities have not yet formally responded to these specific allegations.
© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya
Old politics
Look at your face for someone who was born in 1971.You are growing old sir,possibly 65yrs .You are fighting to come back and loot more funds from the government.It won’t work
What do these people mean by “shrinking democratic space”? Shrinking since 2021? Under PF there was no democratic space to talk about, zero. We are all familiar with the Panga welding, stone throwing, violent cadres who literally went mad when they saw red attire in whatever form.
Even during the ECZ sanctioned campaign period, the opposition especially HH, were not allowed any space to campaign. And any time he tried to campaign, the president or his vice would jump onto a plane and go to where he was supposed to be campaigning and under the guise of security concerns, he was locked out of that area.
UPND party regalia was a huge NO, NO. Anyone wearing such would be severely beaten by Mr. Mundubile’s thugs. One young lady who was wearing UPND regalia at a Youth Day celebration match past officiated by the then Vice President, Mrs. Inonge Wina, was stripped naked and Mrs. Wina never uttered a single word of condemnation as far as I recall.
PF should be the last people to talk about “shrinking” democratic space. During their reign there was no such space. When young people wanted to demonstrate, the then police assistant IG, Bonny ” Bone Breaker” Kapeso threatened to break the bones of any who dared demonstrate. He was in charge when the late Vesper met her untimely death at Unza, Great East Road campus.
It is actually a traversity of justice that neither Mr. Kakoma Kanganja, the former Police IG, nor Mr. Bonny “Bone Breaker” Kapeso his p have been held to account for the many lives snuffed by the police during PF rule.
It is amazing these people can even talk of shrinking democratic space. Do they really understand what thay means?
They are totally devoid of any shame.
In the 5th paragraph, I meant to say, “….nor Mr. Bonny “Bone Breaker” Kapeso his deputy have been held…..”.