Hichilema ‘doubles’ lead, as ecZ ignores call to stop the count

51 Views President Hakainde Hichilema has opened a commanding lead over challenger Brian Mundubile as the Electoral Commission of Zambia released consolidated results from 161 of 226 constituencies, despite mounting pressure from the opposition to halt the presidential tally. According to the latest ECZ figures, Hichilema has 2,057,986 votes while National Reconciliation Party for Unity […]

51 Views

President Hakainde Hichilema has opened a commanding lead over challenger Brian Mundubile as the Electoral Commission of Zambia released consolidated results from 161 of 226 constituencies, despite mounting pressure from the opposition to halt the presidential tally.

According to the latest ECZ figures, Hichilema has 2,057,986 votes while National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity candidate Brian Mundubile has 1,190,920. The margin stands at 867,066 votes with 65 constituencies still outstanding.

The commission said the next announcement of presidential results is scheduled for 16:00 hours.
The new figures were published hours after NRPUP presidential candidate Mundubile went public with serious allegations about the handling of election materials.

In a video address posted on his verified social media handle, Mundubile claimed that official polling-station result sheets, known as g20 forms, were collected from districts before the ordinary verification process was completed.

He said he had received information that on 14th August, instructions were issued to collect presidential g20 forms. After what he described as resistance from some electoral officials, Mundubile alleged that further directives were communicated through provincial local government structures directing district intelligence officers to take custody of the forms.

“These forms are critical in that they form the basis on which results are collected, analysed, verified and declared,” Mundubile said. He questioned who authorized the collection, under what law or procedure, for what purpose, and into whose custody the materials were delivered.

Referencing ECZ’s earlier announcement of a 24-hour suspension of results, Mundubile demanded transparency on what occurred during that period and who had access to the materials. He called for an immediate suspension of further presidential announcements pending an audit, and said all election materials must be safeguarded from unauthorized handlers.

The NRPUP leader cited specific claims from Southern Province, where he alleged there was pressure to modify figures on g20 forms, and from North Western Province, where he said there were reports of unauthorized access to results and movement of materials outside approved channels. He stated that names of public officials had been supplied to him in connection with the claims.

Mundubile demanded the immediate preservation of original g20 forms from every polling station, constituency and district, together with all electronic records, scanned copies and transmission logs. He also called for a full chain-of-custody log showing who handled the materials, when, and where.

He stressed that the allegations require urgent independent investigation and that no conclusion of criminal responsibility should be reached without evidence and due process.

NRPUP running mate Makebi Zulu echoed the call in a separate live broadcast, accusing ECZ of presiding over what he termed “systemic tampering” during the vote count.

Zulu demanded that the commission immediately stop announcing presidential results and return to conduct a polling-station-by-polling-station reconciliation using original gen-20 forms.

“ECZ must do a polling-station-by-polling-station reconciliation using the original Gen-20 forms before proceeding with further announcements,” he said.

Zulu listed several constituencies where his party says problems were observed, including Matero, Kalulushi, Bwanamkubwa, Chawama, Kabwata and Kanyama, covering Lusaka, Central and Copperbelt provinces. He alleged the issues included gen-20 forms that had gone missing or were stolen, interference from security personnel, and pressure on polling staff.

On the integrity of the process, he said: “An election is not free merely because citizens were permitted to cast ballots. The process must remain free and fair through voting, counting, tallying, verification, and final declaration.”

Zulu argued that if party agents spot a mismatch between what ECZ announces and what their gen-20 shows, counting must stop until it is sorted out. He also questioned turnout numbers reported from Southern Province and called on ECZ to release polling-station-level data so parties can cross-check independently.

He further accused officials at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre of intimidating accredited agents, saying some were threatened with loss of accreditation after raising questions or asking to verify documents.

Zulu also raised concerns about the reported detention of opposition members and legal practitioners, including UNIP president Bishop Trevor Mwamba and lawyer George Chisanga. He urged police to make public where they are being held and to allow access to lawyers and relatives.

He appealed to local and international observers, civil society, churches and diplomats to closely monitor the verification and tallying stage, and urged the public to remain peaceful.

Despite the demands, ECZ has continued with the national announcement. As of Saturday, the commission had not issued a formal response to the specific allegations raised by Mundubile and Zulu.

The g20/gen-20 form is the official results sheet completed and signed at each polling station. It serves as the primary document for compiling constituency and national totals.

With 71% of constituencies now counted and a gap of more than 867,000 votes, the focus shifts to whether ECZ will address the opposition’s demands for an audit or proceed to a final declaration based on the current process.