A very warm welcome, fellow citizens, to our first Elections Project Update during the 2026 General Elections period. As you may be aware, Transparency International Zambia shared similar updates during the 2021 General Elections, which highlighted key developments in the electoral environment and called for corrective actions where notable misconduct or gaps were observed. Beginning from today, TI-Z will share these updates bi-weekly and then weekly as the country approaches the polling day in August.
These regular updates are part of our long-term election observation strategy under the “Kuteteza Masankho” elections project, which we officially launched two weeks ago. The updates will be a critical platform for TI-Z to share key observations from the ongoing monitoring of the electoral environment across the country and to engage stakeholders on issues affecting electoral integrity. Through these updates, we seek to inform citizens and contribute to the promotion of peaceful, transparent, and credible elections.
In this first update, we will focus on three issues that have emerged from our election monitoring activities thus far. These are allegations of financial inducements aimed at influencing aspiring candidates to withdraw from electoral contests, the vandalism of campaign materials belonging to independent candidates, and the relative silence during the first weeks of the 2026 campaign period.
1. Alleged Financial Inducements to Aspiring Candidates
TI-Z has received reports from various parts of the country alleging that officials and supporters affiliated with the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) have approached some aspiring candidates with financial offers to withdraw from electoral contests and support ruling party candidates. Among the reports received is that of an aspiring candidate who allegedly declined an offer of K800,000 intended to persuade them to withdraw from the race.
These reports raise serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. Elections should be determined by the free choices of candidates and voters, and not by financial inducements. Where money is used to influence candidates to withdraw from races, citizens are potentially denied meaningful electoral choices and political competition is compromised. Furthermore, it is notable that this development is unique to 2026 and can be attributed to the amendment of the Constitution of Zambia. In Article 52(6)(a), the Constitution of Zambia (as amended by Act No. 13 of 2025) removed the requirement to call for fresh nominations following the resignation or disqualification of a validly nominated candidate by a court of law, thereby allowing for inducement and intimidation of candidates to withdraw, with no opportunity for political parties to replace these candidates.
TI-Z therefore urges relevant investigative agencies to thoroughly investigate these allegations and establish the facts. We further call upon the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to closely monitor these developments and, where evidence exists, invoke the sanctions provided under the Electoral Process Act against any political party, candidate, official, or supporter found to have engaged in electoral corruption or undue influence.
Section 81(1)(c) of the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016 provides that a person shall not, either directly or indirectly, by oneself or with any other person corruptly make any gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement to or for the benefit of any person in order to induce the person to procure or to endeavour to procure the return of any candidate at any election or the vote of any voter at any election. A person who contravenes any provision of subsection (1) commits an offence. We therefore call upon political parties to compete based on policies, ideas, and leadership qualities rather than financial incentives aimed at weakening electoral competition.
2. Vandalism of Campaign Materials in Solwezi
TI-Z is also concerned by reports of vandalism targeting campaign materials belonging to independent candidates in Solwezi District. According to information received, campaign billboards belonging to independent parliamentary and mayoral candidates have been damaged by unknown individuals. One affected candidate, Mr. Poho Kawina, an aspiring independent Member of Parliament for Solwezi Central Constituency, reported the destruction and removal of two campaign billboards valued at K24,600.
We note that the Zambia Police Service has since confirmed that investigations are underway and also reminded the public that all candidates have a constitutional right to campaign freely and to display campaign materials through lawful means. The Police have also correctly emphasized that damaging, removing, or destroying campaign materials belonging to another candidate constitutes a criminal offence for which prosecution may be instituted against the offenders.
As TI-Z, we call upon political parties to educate their supporters on the importance of avoiding such vices. The destruction of campaign materials undermines the principle of a level playing field, imposes unnecessary financial costs on candidates, and restricts their ability to communicate their messages to voters. Such acts are inconsistent with democratic norms and should be condemned by all political players.
3. Relative Silence during the first weeks of the Campaign Period
TI-Z has also taken note of concerns raised by the public and through various media platforms on the relative silence observed during the first weeks of the 2026 Elections campaign period as compared to the 2021 Elections season. This implies that political parties are not actively engaging with the electorate to share their manifestos, a situation which could potentially lead to voter apathy. This lack of engagement has been further compounded by the fact that the vast majority of the political parties have not yet publicly shared their manifestos. If this situation persists, citizens will find it difficult to make informed choices and thus may decide not to cast their votes.
TI-Z therefore calls upon all political parties to publicly share their revised political party manifestos covering the period 2026 to 2031. Elections are supposed to be issue-based, and thus a political party manifesto is an essential reference point for policy direction and post-election accountability. Finally, we also challenge political parties to accelerate their campaign activities to effectively disseminate their campaign messages to potential voters.
Conclusion
As the country moves closer to the August 2026 General Elections, TI-Z calls upon all political parties, candidates, supporters, and stakeholders to reject all forms of political intolerance, intimidation, violence, and electoral corruption. The integrity of Zambia’s elections depends not only on what happens on polling day but also on the conduct of political actors throughout the campaign period. The 2026 Elections should not be decided behind closed doors, through manipulation of candidates, bribery, intimidation, and exploitation of constitutional gaps. Only the Zambian voters should select who wins the elections and their selection should be informed by effectively communicated campaign messages and promises.
TI-Z will continue to monitor electoral developments across the country, providing regular updates to the public on findings from its election observation activities, and engaging relevant stakeholders to promote peace, transparency, credibility, and inclusiveness in the 2026 General Elections.
Maurice K. Nyambe (Mr.)
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
