Mundubile Alleges ECZ Plot to Rig 2026 Elections Through Voter Registration Chaos
LUSAKA — Patriotic Front presidential hopeful Brian Mundubile has publicly accused the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) of intentionally engineering the chaos plaguing the national voter registration drive, calling it a calculated plan to manipulate the 2026 general elections.
Mundubile’s statements suggest a growing unease among political figures about the potential influence of the ecz on the upcoming elections.
The Mporokoso Member of Parliament claimed the widespread disorder is not a result of poor logistics but a deliberate strategy to suppress voter turnout in opposition strongholds.
Speaking to journalists in Lusaka, Mundubile pointed to persistent problems: registration centers opening hours late, malfunctioning biometric kits, inadequate publicity, and a glaring lack of coordination between ECZ staff and local government officials.
“Voter registration is the foundation of any election. It determines who gets to choose their leaders and must be treated with the highest level of seriousness. What we are seeing is not mere incompetence; it looks like deliberate disorganization,” Mundubile stated.
The exercise, which launched on October 13 and is set to conclude on November 11, has been flooded with complaints from across the country. Reports detail broken equipment, absent staff, and crucial materials failing to arrive at centers.
Mundubile labeled the situation a “dangerous prelude to rigging,” arguing that the ECZ’s failure to ensure a smooth process has already disenfranchised thousands of potential voters.
“We have evidence that some centers never opened at all during the first two days. Others opened but had no registration kits, and in many places, the equipment delivered was simply faulty. How does a national exercise, planned for months, fail so completely?” he asked.
He further criticized the Commission for eroding public trust through a lack of transparency. Mundubile noted that deployment schedules for registration teams were being shared haphazardly on social media platforms instead of through official, accessible channels.
“How can a process this critical have no officially published schedule? The ECZ cannot expect public confidence when citizens have to rely on rumors to find out where to register,” he said.
The lawmaker alleged a partisan pattern to the failures, claiming that provinces known for opposition support have borne the brunt of the logistical breakdown, with materials arriving late or not at all.
He also took issue with the decision to hold the voter registration separately from the national issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs), a move he said prevents many newly eligible youths from enrolling.
“A logical approach would be to run civil and voter registration concurrently. By creating this barrier, the Commission is systematically disenfranchising a generation of new voters,” Mundubile argued.
He demanded the ECZ immediately extend the registration deadline to December 31 to make up for the lost days.
“An extension is non-negotiable. Ending this process on November 11 in the current climate is a disservice to the nation. Countless citizens in multiple districts have not had a single day of proper registration,” he said.
Mundubile accused the ECZ of damaging its own credibility by staying silent on the widespread problems and refusing to provide regular progress reports.
“Their silence is deafening. Transparency is the bedrock of a credible election, and the Commission’s refusal to communicate is only fueling public suspicion,” he said.
His concerns are echoed by civic groups. Youth organizations in Northern, Luapula, and Eastern provinces have reported incomplete staff deployments and non-functional machines. At the few centers that are operating, long queues have led to frustration, with many people leaving without being registered.
While ECZ officials have previously stated that registration was progressing “within acceptable parameters,” they have not addressed the specific reports of shortages and equipment failure.
Mundubile called the Commission’s dismissive attitude an act of “dangerous arrogance” that threatens Zambia’s democratic standing.
“We have a history of credible elections, but that credibility starts with the right to register. When you tamper with that right, the entire electoral process loses its legitimacy,” he warned.
He vowed that opposition parties would not accept a flawed voter roll, stating, “We are meticulously documenting every equipment failure, every absent officer. If this continues, we will demand an independent, full audit of the entire registration process.”
He called on civil society, the church, and international partners to monitor the situation closely before the exercise is finalized.
“This transcends partisan politics. This is about protecting our democracy. A flawed register guarantees a flawed election,” Mundubile concluded.