The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has urged aspiring presidential candidates in the country to promote peaceful, issue-based political competition as the nation prepares for the 2026 General Election.
ECZ has also called for strict adherence to legal and procedural requirements as well as constructive engagement with the Commission, amongst those aspiring for the presidential office.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement meeting with political parties for the 2026 General Election, ECZ Chairperson, Mwangala Zaloumis, reminded participants that elections were not merely contests for power but processes through which the will of the people are expressed.
Ms Zaloumis emphasised that the credibility and integrity of the electoral process depends not only on the Commission’s management but also on the conduct and cooperation of political parties and their candidates.
She said the meeting was meant to provide an update on the 2026 General Election Roadmap and to clarify the nomination process for presidential candidates.
Ms Zaloumis stated that the Commission would guide political parties through nomination qualifications, the pre-processing of supporters, applicable nomination fees, and the nomination timetable.
She stressed that compliance with these requirements is essential for a smooth nomination process and for safeguarding the credibility of the elections.
” I wish to reaffirm the Commission’s commitment to delivering free, fair, transparent, and credible elections in 2026. We will continue to provide timely information, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in the discharge of our mandate”, Ms Zaloumis pledged.
Ms Zaloumis further highlighted the uniqueness of the upcoming polls, noting that the 2026 General Election would be the first to take place after a Constitutional Amendment that increased the number of constituency-based seats from 156 to 226 and introduced the Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMPR) system.
She added that these changes had triggered proposed amendments to the Electoral Process Act, which were yet to be tabled before Parliament.
The meeting was attended by over 55 Presidential aspirants and their party representatives.
Is counseling part of ECZ’s job?
I wonder how all these were registered and SC party failed to register
My hundred dollar question too.
What did the honourable SC miss in his application?
When is ECZ going to conduct sensitisation sessions to provinces that vote on tribal lines? Especially to the prominent and outstanding province known this very backward vice?
I think you are right. Counseling should be on what is one Zambia one nation. How 73 tribes have lived together, how to emulate copperbelt residents in social political integration, how Vernon Mwaanga can be an MP in Luanshya and Gary Nkombo is stuck in Mazabuka.