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New sweeping rules by the Electoral Commission of Zambia are not supported by the law and will have far more ramifications, according to former Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba.
Mwamba stated that qualifications for eligible candidates were already contained in Article 100 of the Republican Constitution and the Electoral Process Act of 2016.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday, Mwamba said the new rules had threatened the possibility of Zambia holding democratic, credible, transparent, free and fair elections.
He added that it was clear the rules targeted entire political parties whose records at the Registrar of Society were currently conflicted.
“Electoral Commission of Zambia new sweeping rules, are not supported by the law, but will have far more ramifications,” Mwamba wrote.
He said the situation was affecting not just the presidential candidate and their running mates, but Members of Parliament, Mayors, Council Chairperson and Ward Councillors.
Mwamba explained that the adoption certificates had to be signed by the President and Secretary General recognised at the Registrar of Societies, a process the State allegedly manipulates.
“So far the political parties affected include; the Patriotic Front (PF), New Congress Party (NCP), United Nation Independent Party (UNIP), Forum for Democracy and Development ( FDD), People’s Party (PP) and New Democratic Congress (NDC),” he said.
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Mwamba claimed that unless the parties affected took a pre-emptive legal action similar to what John Sangwa SC did against the Registrar of Society, their candidates and members might be left cold without participation.
He noted that the filing of nominations for MPs, Mayors and Ward Councillors had been set simultaneously as presidential candidates.
“Please note that during nominations, all aspiring candidates must present an adoption certificate to the Returning Officer. The Adoption Certificate must be signed by both the President and Secretary General of the sponsoring political party, as reflected in the records of the Registrar of Societies,” according to the ECZ note cited by Mwamba.
According to ECZ any letter signed by an individual whose name does not match the official records will result in the invalidation of the nominations papers. It also says that candidates standing for the President who are not the official heads of their sponsoring parties must produce a confirmation letter signed by both the President and Secretary General, stating they have been sponsored by the political party, in addition to the signed adoption certificate.
The ECZ official communications were issued on May 7, 2026.
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