🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Opposition Leaders Reject Calls to Suspend Elections Over Lungu Burial
Opposition leaders have pushed back against proposals suggesting Zambia should postpone the 2026 general elections until late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu is buried, arguing that the country’s constitutional calendar cannot be altered through political appeals.
The debate follows remarks by Chikondi Foundation President Bishop John Mambo, who questioned whether Zambia should proceed with national elections while the body of a former head of state remains in a foreign mortuary. Bishop Mambo reportedly appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema, political leaders and other stakeholders to prioritise the burial of the late president before the country heads to the polls.
Lungu, who died in June last year, has not yet been buried, and his body remains in South Africa, where the family initially indicated it wished to conduct the burial. The matter later became the subject of legal proceedings after the Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha petitioned against the family’s decision.
Reacting to the suggestion that elections could be halted, New Congress Party (NCP) President Pastor Peter Chanda criticised the proposal and instead blamed the government and the Attorney General for the prolonged burial dispute.
Speaking in an interview with KBN TV News, Pastor Chanda argued that the burial process might already have been completed if the government had not challenged the family’s decision in court.
At the same time, Chanda maintained that suspending elections would not be legally possible under Zambia’s constitutional framework.
“Zambia is a constitutional democracy and there are no shortcuts when it comes to amending the Constitution,” he said, stressing that the electoral timetable cannot simply be paused through political statements.
Other opposition figures have echoed similar concerns.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) President Saboi Imboela also rejected the proposal to delay elections, saying the country requires an election process that will allow citizens to choose leadership capable of resolving national matters, including the burial of the late president.
Meanwhile, Revamp for Development Change (RDC) President Robert Chansa has also dismissed suggestions to halt the electoral process, warning against actions that would undermine constitutional order.
The discussion highlights the continuing political sensitivity surrounding the delayed burial of former President Lungu, an issue that has periodically resurfaced in national debate.
However, Zambia’s constitutional calendar provides clear guidance on the electoral cycle. The country is expected to hold its next general elections on 13 August 2026, following the dissolution of Parliament later this year.
As political tensions rise ahead of the election season, leaders across the political spectrum continue to differ on how the Lungu burial dispute should be resolved, even as most agree that the country’s constitutional processes must remain intact.
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