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The Consortium of CSOs for Good Governance and Constitutionalism has called for the release of persons detained on politically related grounds, saying continued detention risked undermining national healing after the 2026 elections.
The demand featured prominently in the group’s Interim Elections and Parallel Vote Tabulation Report released on Monday, in which the consortium assessed the conduct of the polls and proposed steps for democratic consolidation.
The consortium said the post-election period should be used to restore confidence, uphold the rule of law, and protect fundamental rights.
It further urged President Hakainde Hichilema to take the lead in initiating a genuine process of reconciliation with political competitors and other stakeholders who may have felt excluded or aggrieved during the electoral process.
“The Consortium further calls for the release of persons detained on politically related grounds, where there are no compelling and independently established reasons for their continued detention and where due process permits such release,” the report stated.
On the administration of the election, the CSOs addressed controversy around the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s decision on August 14 to suspend the counting and announcement of results.
“Once counting has been suspended, the presiding officers are required to secure and keep the election materials safely until the process resumes,” the consortium noted.
The group said that, based on its reading of Section 67(3) of the Electoral Process Act, the suspension was within the Commission’s statutory mandate.
“In the Consortium’s considered view, therefore, the decision announced on 14 August 2026 was within the statutory mandate of the Commission and, on the face of Section 67(3), there was nothing inherently irregular or unlawful about the suspension,” it said.
The suspension was reviewed within 24 hours, the report added, and the consortium argued that the law did not expressly prescribe who must initiate such a suspension.
Beyond legal issues, the consortium highlighted operational challenges encountered during its monitoring exercise, citing gaps in monitor deployment and limited preparation time as key lessons.
“Some monitors did not report to their assigned stations, resulting in gaps in the intended nationwide coverage and requiring additional follow-up during the operation,” the report stated.
Despite the gaps, the consortium said the scientific PVT sample was fully covered, allowing national presidential estimates to be produced and compared with the officially announced ECZ results.
The report described the 2026 election as an opportunity rather than the start of another cycle of confrontation.
“The 2026 election should therefore mark not the beginning of another cycle of political confrontation, but an opportunity for Zambia to strengthen its democratic institutions, improve its electoral laws and practices, and build a more inclusive political culture,” the consortium said.
It called on political leaders, civil society, security services, the media and citizens to embrace restraint and dialogue.
The consortium also stressed that the legitimacy of an election was measured not only by results but by how a nation manages differences afterward.
“The legitimacy of an election extends beyond the declaration of results. It is equally measured by how a nation responds to differences, grievances and divisions after voting has ended,” it stated.
The group said Zambia’s voice had been expressed through the ballot and now required leadership to match it with unity.
“Zambia has spoken through the ballot. It is now the responsibility of all stakeholders, and particularly the leadership of the country, to ensure that the voice of the people is followed by a renewed commitment to peace, unity, justice and democratic constitutionalism,” reads the statement.
The statement was signed by Isaac Mwanza, Consortium Chairperson, Jacob Makambwe, ZEEGI National Coordinator, and Arthur Muyunda, Consortium Secretary.
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