“STAY IN YOUR LANE!” — NAWA FIRES AT ECZ OVER CAMPAIGN TIMETABLE Tonse Alliance National Women’s League Chairperson Rev. Sylvia Nawa has strongly challenged the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) over its decision to introduce a Presidential Campaign Timetable ahead of the 2026 General Election, questioning both its legality and necessity. In a statement released […]

“STAY IN YOUR LANE!” — NAWA FIRES AT ECZ OVER CAMPAIGN TIMETABLE

Tonse Alliance National Women’s League Chairperson Rev. Sylvia Nawa has strongly challenged the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) over its decision to introduce a Presidential Campaign Timetable ahead of the 2026 General Election, questioning both its legality and necessity.

In a statement released on Saturday, Rev. Nawa argued that while maintaining peace and order during elections is important, ECZ must operate strictly within the powers granted to it by the Constitution and electoral laws.

She said the Commission’s mandate is to manage elections and not to determine when and where presidential candidates should campaign, warning that the proposed timetable represents a significant departure from Zambia’s established democratic practices.

Rev. Nawa noted that Zambia has successfully conducted multiparty elections for decades without an ECZ-imposed presidential campaign calendar, raising concerns about the legal basis for the new measure.

She further stated that constitutional freedoms, including freedom of association, expression, movement and political participation, should not be restricted through administrative decisions that lack clear legal authority

Questioning ECZ’s justification that the timetable is intended to promote fairness and order, Rev. Nawa challenged the Commission to publicly identify any presidential candidate who has been sidelined or who has formally complained about unequal access to campaign opportunities.

“The Commission can only exercise powers that are expressly granted by law,” she said, adding that good intentions alone cannot create legal authority.

Rev. Nawa called on ECZ to publicly clarify the legal framework supporting the Presidential Campaign Timetable and assure Zambians that no candidate will be disadvantaged by measures that may lack constitutional backing.

She also linked the Commission’s decision to the growing momentum of the Tonse Alliance campaign, citing recent rallies held in Kitwe, Kabwe and Petauke by National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) presidential candidate Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu.

The Tonse Women’s League Chairperson maintained that the alliance remains confident ahead of the August 13, 2026 General Election and insisted that no administrative measures would derail its presidential campaign.

©️ Kumwesu | June 21, 2026