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The National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity and the Resolute Party have accused the Electoral Commission of Zambia of undermining the credibility of the 2026 General Election through what they called “an unmistakable pattern of selective enforcement.”
This follows the Commission’s decision to suspend NRPUP campaign activities in Kaputa Constituency over what the party described as unproven allegations.
In a joint press statement issued on Saturday by the Tonse Pamodzi Secretariat, the two parties claimed that the ECZ’s conduct was steadily eroding public confidence in its independence, impartiality and ability to administer a free, fair and credible election.
Japhen Mwakalombe, Elections Chairperson of the Tonse Alliance, and Dr. Frank Ngambi, Elections Chairperson of the PF Pamodzi Alliance, contrasted that action with the ECZ’s response to reported attacks on their own candidates and supporters allegedly by members of the ruling UPND.
Mwakalombe and Ngambi rejected the allegations cited by the Commission.
“To date, no independent investigation has concluded that NRPUP bears responsibility for the incident relied upon by the Commission. Neither has any court of competent jurisdiction made such a finding,” the duo said.
The parties listed several incidents they say require urgent ECZ intervention such as s attacks on their parliamentary candidates in Kanyama and Monze, repeated attacks and intimidation of their candidate in Makeni, an attack on their Resolute Party councillor candidate in Mandevu, and numerous other reported incidents involving assaults, threats, or intimidation.
They noted that in each of the cases, the Commission had either remained silent or failed to exercise the same level of urgency and decisiveness that it has demonstrated against NRPUP.
The Alliance also cited ECZ’s handling of a fatal incident in Magoye East Constituency, where the Commission said it is awaiting police investigations before deciding on action.
“If that is the proper legal approach in Magoye, the Zambian people are entitled to ask why the same standard was not applied before suspending NRPUP’s campaign activities in Kaputa,” the parties said.
They argued that the ECZ “must not create the perception that one political party enjoys protection while another is subjected to swift sanctions based on allegations that remain untested.”
Mwakalombe and Ngambi demanded that the Commission immediately review and reverse the Kaputa suspension pending independent investigations and apply the Electoral Code of Conduct equally to every party.
Additionally, they called for probe of all reported political violence regardless of affiliation; publicly explain the legal and factual basis for adopting different standards; and reaffirm its constitutional commitment to impartiality.
“The credibility of the 2026 General Election will not be determined by the existence of electoral laws alone, but by whether those laws are administered fairly, consistently and without political bias,” they said.
The parties said they remained committed to peaceful, lawful and issue-based campaigning and called on members to conduct themselves peacefully while insisting that constitutional institutions act without fear or favour.
Read More: Electoral commission suspends NRPUP campaigns in Kaputa after death
Meanwhile, the Acton Institute for Policy Analysis Centre has challenged the ECZ to also suspend campaigns in Magoye, calling the Commission’s current approach selective enforcement that risks damaging its credibility.
AIPAC Executive Director, Solomon Ngoma acknowledged ECZ’s authority to suspend the campaigns of one political party in Kaputa following a violent incident, but said consistency demanded equal action in Magoye.
“If the guiding principle is to protect life and uphold peace, then consistency requires that campaigns in both Kaputa and Magoye Constituencies be suspended,” Ngoma said.
Despite ECZ stating that it was waiting for police investigations to conclude in Magoye before deciding on further action, Ngoma said that the position was difficult to accept given that a fatality occurred.
“The fact that Mr. Sakala was killed is undeniable, and that alone should have warranted an immediate suspension of campaigns in Magoye,” he said.
Ngoma added that stakeholders and international observers were already in both constituencies following developments with keen interest.
He warned that ECZ’s credibility was therefore on the line, stressing that impartiality and consistency were essential to maintaining trust in Zambia’s democratic process.
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