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Zambia’s Catholic bishops have urged authorities, political parties and citizens to respect the will of voters expressed at the ballot box, warning that the country’s peace must not be sacrificed for political ambition as the counting of votes from the Aug. 13 general election continues.
“The will of the Zambian people, freely expressed at the ballot box, must be respected and protected,” the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) said in a pastoral statement issued on Sunday.
The bishops said Zambia’s peace had been “hard-won and long treasured” and should not be sacrificed for political ambition, while appealing to citizens to remain calm, patient and peaceful.
The ZCCB said it was concerned by the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s (ECZ) decision on Aug. 14 to suspend the tallying and announcement of election results following reports of violence against polling officials and the theft of marked and unmarked ballot papers.
Although the ECZ has since said counting resumed under heightened security, the bishops said the suspension a day after voting should concern every citizen.
“An election is only as credible as the transparency of its counting and tallying process,” they said, warning that delays could create room for doubt, speculation and mistrust.
The bishops called on the ECZ to act without fear or favour and in strict accordance with the Constitution and Electoral Process Act, saying the commission should deliver the results in a full, transparent and timely manner.
They also raised concerns over reports that ballot papers, including those allegedly affected by theft or tampering, had at various points been left in the custody of police officers and army personnel.
“Ballot papers are not the property of the security services; they are the property of the Zambian people,” the bishops said, calling on the ECZ to publicly account for the chain of custody of every affected ballot box and ballot paper.
The bishops also expressed concern over the deployment of army personnel to perform police functions during the election, saying the visible presence of military personnel and vehicles at polling and tallying centres could intimidate voters, polling agents and officials.
They urged that any continued military presence be strictly limited, transparent in its mandate and withdrawn once it was no longer genuinely required.
The ZCCB further called for transparency over reports of opposition political party members and officials being harassed by armed officers and allegations that some individuals had been unaccounted for periods of time.
While acknowledging that not all such reports had been independently verified, the bishops said anyone held by state agencies should be promptly accounted for, given access to legal counsel and family, and either charged according to law or released.
The bishops urged Zambians to defend the truth without resorting to violence and called for peace, patience and prayer as the electoral process continues.
The statement was signed on Aug. 16 by Archbishop Ignatius Chama, president of the ZCCB, Bishop Charles Kasonde, vice-president, and other Catholic bishops.
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