NGOCC STATEMENT ON ECZ SUSPENSION OF COUNTING AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF 2026 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS
For Immediate Release
14 August 2026
The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has noted the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s (ECZ) decision to suspend the counting and announcement of results for the 2026 General Elections, citing incidents of violence against poll staff and theft of marked ballot papers in some districts.
The ECZ has stated that the suspension, made under Section 67(3) of the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016, will be reviewed within 24 hours.
Through the Ziko Lathu Consortium, NGOCC has closely monitored the electoral process, with particular focus on the participation, safety and representation of women.
NGOCC’s primary concern is the ECZ’s decision to suspend the counting and announcement of election results without adequate consultation with key stakeholders. Given the magnitude and significance of a General Election, stakeholders should be engaged throughout the process, particularly on decisions with far-reaching implications for electoral integrity and public confidence.
Failure to adequately consult stakeholders creates suspicion, erodes trust and risks heightening tensions. The ECZ must ensure that its actions contribute to calm and confidence rather than inflaming an already sensitive situation.
We are also concerned by the lack of clarity regarding the safeguards and custody arrangements for ballot materials and results that had already been tabulated before the suspension.
Equally troubling are reports that election monitors are being removed from polling stations, making it difficult to ascertain their status and continue independent observation. Civil society organisations, including NGOCC, have invested significant resources in supporting and monitoring the electoral process, and these efforts must be respected and facilitated.
The suspension further creates a situation where only ECZ officials may remain at polling stations, while observer missions and monitors, whose deployment comes at considerable cost, are forced to withdraw. This undermines transparency and accountability and may negatively affect public confidence in the credibility of the election results.
NGOCC therefore joins other stakeholders in calling for a response that is lawful, transparent and proportionate to the reported incidents.
Any interventions should be targeted at the affected areas and handled on a case-by-case basis, rather than through a blanket nationwide suspension when the reported incidents are clearly isolated.
ISSUED FOR AND ON BEHALF OF NGOCC
Ms. Beauty Katebe
NGOCC Board Chairperson