🇿🇲 BRIEFING | NRPUP, RP Candidates Withdraw from Chongwe East Election
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), through the Office of the District Electoral Officer for Chongwe, has announced the resignation of four aspiring candidates from the August 13, 2026 General Election, including parliamentary and local government candidates from the National Reform Party for Unity and Progress (NRPUP) and the Resolute Party (RP).
According to a public notice dated 28 July 2026, Robster Mwanza, the Resolute Party parliamentary candidate for Chongwe East Constituency, has formally withdrawn from the election. The notice also confirms the resignation of Kelly Nyambe, the NRPUP candidate for Mulenje Ward, alongside Brian Mutalange, an independent candidate for Lwimba Ward, and David Daka, the United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia (UPPZ) candidate for Chalimbana Ward.
The ECZ said it has received and accepted the notices of resignation submitted by the candidates. Although their names will remain printed on the ballot papers because of electoral timelines, the Commission stated that they will no longer participate as candidates in the forthcoming general election.
The withdrawals come at a critical stage of the campaign, just over two weeks before polling day, when political parties are intensifying mobilisation across the country. While the ECZ notice does not state the reasons behind the resignations, the development reduces the electoral footprint of the affected parties in Chongwe District and leaves voters in the affected electoral areas with fewer active choices than originally anticipated.
From a broader electoral perspective, candidate withdrawals at parliamentary and ward level extend beyond individual contests. Local candidates provide political parties with campaign structures, polling agents and grassroots mobilisation networks. Their absence can weaken a party’s visibility and organisational reach within affected communities, particularly during the final stages of a campaign when door-to-door mobilisation and local engagement become increasingly important
The ECZ has advised members of the public to take note of the development and clarified that, notwithstanding the appearance of the candidates’ names on the ballot papers, the four individuals have formally withdrawn from the 2026 General Election.
© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya
