CF PRESIDENT HARRY KALABA WRITES TO AU OVER AUGUST POLLS

 10th April 2026

His Excellency Évariste Ndayishimiye

President of the Republic of Burundi

Chairperson of the African Union

Your Excellency,

RE: Concerns Regarding the Integrity of the Electoral Process in Zambia

I have the honour to address you in your esteemed capacity as Chairperson of the African Union.

Your Excellency, as you may recall, the Republic of Zambia has maintained an admirable record of conducting credible, free, and fair elections since the advent of multi-party democracy in 1991, with peaceful transitions of power.

However, it is with deep concern that I bring to your attention recent developments under the administration of His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, which threaten to undermine this longstanding democratic tradition. We have growing fears that the forthcoming elections scheduled for August 13, 2026, will not meet the standards of credibility, transparency, and fairness.

Concerns regarding the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ):

1. The Electoral Commission of Zambia is constitutionally mandated to consist of five commissioners appointed by the President.

2. The current composition of the Commission raises serious concerns regarding inclusiveness and regional balance. For the past year, the four serving commissioners have come from the same region, undermining national geographical representation.

3. Of these four commissioners, two are strongly affiliated with the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).

4. On April 9, 2026—just one week before the commencement of presidential nominations—the President appointed a fifth commissioner, who is known to be aligned with the UPND and has been aspiring to stand on its ticket as a Member of Parliament. Making changes this late in the electoral process coupled with partisan appointments results in three out of five commissioners being affiliated with the ruling party.

This situation represents an unprecedented development in Zambia’s 60-year history and raises serious concerns about the integrity and impartiality of the electoral body.

Concerns regarding potential exclusion of political parties:

Your Excellency, Presidential candidates’ nomination period starts next week on 15th April and while that is taking place, the ECZ is advancing an electoral bill that may disqualify political parties based on alleged failure to demonstrate intra-party democracy, such as holding general conferences and registering office bearers. Late introduction of such bills to parliament may result in disenfranchisement and exclusion of political parties as well as voters.

Further, Governments compliance administrative processes under the Registrar of Societies have proven excessively onerous. In my own case, despite holding a general conference on December 7, 2024, the registration process took approximately 11 months, with certification only completed in November 2025, to render us ready to participate in the August 13, 2026 polls.

Your Excellency, as you may know, free, fair, and transparent elections are the cornerstone of democracy and are firmly enshrined in the principles of the African Union, including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. Any perceived compromise in electoral integrity not only threatens national stability but also undermines confidence in democratic systems across the continent.

Request for intervention:

Considering the above, we respectfully appeal to Your Excellency to: 

• Dispatch an urgent fact-finding or observer mission to Zambia.

• Engage with your counterpart, His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, on the need to safeguard electoral integrity.

• Encourage measures to restore public confidence in the independence of the Electoral Commission; and

• Urge reconsideration for reversal of the recent commissioner appointment, notwithstanding the politically inclined nature of the latest appointee, but particularly the timing in the electoral cycle rendering inadequate time to train, orient and learn the roles and importance of the ECZ. 

Your Excellency, Zambia has long stood as a beacon of democratic stability in Africa. It is our earnest hope that, with your timely intervention, this proud legacy can be preserved.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Harry Kalaba

President, Citizens First Party Zambia

Former Foreign Affairs Minister