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Independent Parliamentary candidate for Chilanga North Constituency, Guess Nyirenda, has condemned the Electoral Commission of Zambia decision to ban the use of the Candle symbol by Independent Candidates in the August 13, 2026 general elections.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) had ordered independent candidates assigned the “Candle” symbol to select alternatives ahead of the August 13, 2026 general elections, saying it was conducting a review of nomination papers and supporting documents received from districts when the duplication was discovered.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, Nyirenda said the decision was not only unfair but also contradictory, especially that the Candle was among the official symbols provided for candidates to choose from during the nomination process.
“I would like to indicate from the outset that, in this matter I am a victim. I am very much affected as my symbol that was approved by the ECZ at my nomination was and still is a candle,” Nyirenda stated.
He warned that any attempt to change or ban the symbol at this stage, midway through the campaign, will result in significant financial losses and unnecessary confusion among voters.
Nyirenda said the ECZ’s decision and/or directive was vehemently and unanimously rejected by more than forty members of the Political Party Liaison Committee meeting held on Monday June 8, 2026, at the Council Chamber at Chilanga District Council.
“It is therefore unreasonable and unjustifiable for the Commission to attempt to withdraw or ban a symbol that candidates selected in good faith from an ECZ-approved list,” he said.
Nyirenda said he and many other Independent Candidates have already invested substantial financial resources in producing campaign materials.
He said these include posters, banners, flyers, billboards, branded clothing and other promotional items bearing the Candle symbol.
Nyirenda emphasized that any Electoral Management Body, inclusive of the ECZ, when managing the electoral process, required consistency, certainty and fairness.
“Changing the rules midway through the process undermines public confidence in the electoral system and unfairly disadvantages affected candidates,” he stated.
He argued that candidates selected the Candle symbol in good faith from an ECZ-approved list during nominations. The Commission’s approval of the symbol at nomination, he said, created legitimate expectation for its use.
Nyirenda pointed out that the financial investment already made on campaign materials bearing the Candle symbol would be wasted if the ban was enforced.
He argued that this would also create confusion among voters who have already been exposed to the symbol.
“I therefore call upon the ECZ to immediately rescind this directive and uphold the principles of fairness, transparency and equal treatment for all candidates,” he said.
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