Mundubile raises critical concerns 3 days before polls

120 ViewsThree days to Zambia’s General Election, the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity leader Brian Mundubile has raised three critical concerns about the credibility of the August 13 vote. He called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia to reverse what he calls a last-minute change on ballot marks, speed up the announcement of […]

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Mundubile praying at Sinyangwe’s church

Three days to Zambia’s General Election, the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity leader Brian Mundubile has raised three critical concerns about the credibility of the August 13 vote.

He called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia to reverse what he calls a last-minute change on ballot marks, speed up the announcement of results, and for police to stop what he described as politically motivated arrests.

In a livestream on his social media handle on Sunday evening, Mundubile said the decisions being made now will determine whether Zambians trust the outcome of the election.

His first concern is on how ballots will be marked.

He said for years, ECZ’s voter education has told citizens to use an X in the box of their preferred candidate.

Last week, Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro told stakeholders that a tick, dash or any other clear mark would also be accepted provided it does not go into another candidate’s space.

Mundubile said the timing of that change is unacceptable. He argued that the Electoral Process General Regulations of 2016 specify a cross, and that altering the standard days before polling creates confusion for presiding officers and voters.

“Why introduce uncertainty only days before an election?” Mundubile asked. “The training was done on an X. The materials were printed with an X. Now presiding officers will be forced to decide what a tick means under pressure. Withdraw this and go back to the law.”

He warned that inconsistent application at polling stations will lead to disputes, rejected ballots, and petitions. ECZ has defended the guidance as a way to protect voter intent and reduce disenfranchisement.

The commission says the law gives it discretion where intent is clear and that party agents will witness the process. Mundubile rejected that, saying clarity should have come months ago, not days before voting.

His second concern is the timeline for announcing results. ECZ has indicated that final results will be declared by August 17, four days after voting. Mundubile said that delay is not justifiable in 2026.

“Transparency must be immediate,” he said. “We have the technology to transmit results from polling stations within hours. Count on the night, verify the next day, and announce within 24 hours. Waiting until the 17th creates room for rumors and manipulation.”

He proposed that ECZ publish results constituency by constituency as they are received, so that political parties, observers and citizens can track the tally in real time.

He stressed that speed must not compromise accuracy, but that there is no reason to hold results for four days.

The third issue Mundubile raised relates to arrests and detentions.

He pointed to recent cases involving political figures, media workers and content creators that he said show a pattern of intimidation ahead of the vote.

“The police must remain neutral,” he said. “If there is a crime, charge the person and take them to court. Do not use arrests to silence people or to tilt the playing field three days to an election.”

He called on the Inspector General of Police to issue a public directive that officers will not interfere with campaigns, media coverage, or the movement of party agents on polling day. He also demanded that all arrests be made public with clear charges and that due process be followed.

ECZ has said all ballot papers were printed in Dubai and are under chain of custody. The commission has also said special voting for security personnel, ECZ staff and essential workers will be held before August 13, with the exact date and centers to be gazetted.

Civil society organisations monitoring the election have echoed calls for clarity. They say ECZ should repeat its voter education message daily so that every presiding officer applies the same standard. On results, analysts note that while transmission is faster now, reconciliation and physical delivery of signed results sheets still require time.

Mundubile said the opposition will deploy agents to all 156 constituencies and will run a parallel tally. He urged Zambians to turn out early on Wednesday, vote peacefully, and stay to witness counting.

“The vote belongs to the people, not to any party and not to any commission,” he said. “ECZ must remove doubt now. Go back to the X. Announce results quickly. And police must stay out of politics.”

Polling opens at 06:00 hours on August 13 and closes at 18:00 hours.