NRP-UP, Mundubile clash over parliamentary nominations

A fresh clash is emerging within the National Restoration Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRP-UP) over who has the authority to submit names for the party’s proportional representation seats in Parliament. NRP-UP president Ezra Tembo says the party has already submitted its list to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), and that the list was […]

Brian Mundubile

Ezra Tembo

A fresh clash is emerging within the National Restoration Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRP-UP) over who has the authority to submit names for the party’s proportional representation seats in Parliament.

NRP-UP president Ezra Tembo says the party has already submitted its list to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), and that the list was prepared earlier and submitted by the party’s Secretary-General without any changes.

Tembo’s position comes amid a developing disagreement with Brian Mundubile, who was the NRP-UP presidential candidate in the August 13 general election and is also seeking to have a say in the nomination of members to the seats the party has qualified for.

Mundubile’s involvement in the process is likely to be contentious because his presidential candidacy was central to NRP-UP’s performance in the election.

NRP-UP was the special purpose vehicle used by the Tonse Pamodzi Alliance to field Mundubile as its presidential candidate, and the votes obtained by the presidential candidate are used in determining a party’s entitlement to proportional representation seats.

However, Tembo says Mundubile’s role was limited to the 2026 presidential election.

“Mundubile was our presidential candidate for 2026,” Tembo said, in effect drawing a distinction between the former candidate’s role in the election and the authority of the party leadership after the election.

The disagreement now appears to be moving beyond the election campaign and into the question of who controls the party and its political representation in Parliament.

The Electoral Process (Amendment) Act, 2026 provides that it is the political party that submits its list of candidates for proportional representation seats to the ECZ. The list is required to be signed by the party president and Secretary-General.

The law also provides for the allocation of proportional representation seats based on votes obtained by eligible presidential candidates.

This has created an unusual situation for NRP-UP, where Mundubile’s presidential candidacy contributed to the votes from which the party’s entitlement to proportional representation seats is derived, while the law places the formal submission of the names in the hands of the political party.

Tembo says there is therefore no question of the party waiting for Mundubile before submitting its list.

He maintains that the list was already prepared and submitted through the party’s Secretary-General and that there have been no changes to it.

The development sets the stage for a possible dispute over which list should be recognised if Mundubile and the NRP-UP leadership submit competing names.

The ECZ will ultimately have to determine whether any submission meets the requirements of the electoral law.

NRP-UP’s latest position, however, is that the party has already completed its part of the process.