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The Development People’s Party (DPP) has demanded that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) immediately publish the complete nomination papers and statutory declarations of assets and liabilities for each presidential candidate.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, DPP President Dr. Kafula Mubanga said the publication should take place immediately following the conclusion of the nomination process to ensure full public accountability.
Mubanga said the law should be applied equally to all individuals without fear, favor, or exception, and that the ECZ should not treat some individuals or political figures with kid gloves.
He argued that transparency was the bedrock of credible, free, and fair elections, and that institutional selective compliance with the law would not be tolerated.
“This publication must take place immediately following the conclusion of the nomination process to ensure full public accountability,” Mubanga said.
He stated that the requirement for public disclosure was not an administrative courtesy or an optional exercise, but an explicit legal mandate.
Mubanga cited Section 31 (2) of the Electoral Process Act, which it said explicitly mandates that the Commission shall publish the nomination paper and an affidavit in the Gazette and a newspaper of general circulation.
He also cited Article 100 (1) (h) of the Constitution, which made the declaration of assets and liabilities a non-negotiable prerequisite for qualification as a presidential candidate.
“The requirement for public disclosure is not an administrative courtesy or an optional exercise, but an explicit legal mandate,” Mubanga said.
He emphasized that the purpose of publishing the documents was to allow the electorate, civil society, and stakeholders to inspect them.
Mubanga said citizens had a strict statutory window to challenge any falsified, incomplete, or fraudulent declarations in the Constitutional Court.
He warned that by withholding or delaying publication, the ECZ was effectively closing the door on public scrutiny and violating democratic transparency.
Mubanga demanded that the ECZ publish the full nomination papers, adoption certificates, and sworn affidavits of assets and liabilities for all validly nominated presidential candidates in the Government Gazette within the next 48 hours.
He further demanded that the records be distributed across newspapers of general circulation and verified digital portals to ensure uniform treatment of all candidates.
“Consequently, the DPP demands that the Electoral Commission of Zambia immediately publish the full nomination papers, adoption certificates, and sworn affidavits of assets and liabilities for all validly nominated presidential candidates in the Government Gazette within the next 48 hours,” Mubanga said.
He said failure to comply would constitute a severe breach of the law and that it reserves the right to pursue all available legal avenues, including seeking an order of mandamus.
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