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The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), has reaffirmed that the use and wearing of campaign regalia which did not depict the symbol, colour or pictorial images of the contesting political party and or candidate respectively during an election campaign period was illegal.
The Commission stated that it was an offence for any person being a candidate to use a symbol in the course of an election other than a symbol registered with the Chief Electoral Officer.
Addressing Journalists during a media briefing in Lusaka on Thursday, ECZ Chairperson, Mwangala Zaloumis, noted, with concern, the debate among some stakeholders on the use and wearing of campaign regalia especially during the Mfuwe by-election campaigns.
Zaloumis said it was also an offence for any other person to associate any candidate with any symbol in the course of an election other than the candidates registered symbol.
“For the avoidance of doubt Section 89 (1) (n) provides as follows:
“A person shall not – being a candidate use a symbol in the course of an election other than the symbol registered with the Chief Electoral Officer in accordance with this Act and any regulations thereunder or, in the case of any other person, associate any candidate with any symbol in the course of an election other than the candidate’s registered symbol.” She cited.
Zaloumis said the debate arose following a point of clarification raised during the post nomination Political Parties Liaison Committee meeting held on July 10, 2025 at Lavushimanda Town Council ahead of the Mfuwe Parliamentary by-election in Muchinga Province.
She said the by-election was scheduled to take place on August 7 2025 and was being contested by three political parties namely the New Congress Party (NCP), United Party for National Development (UPND) and Socialist Party (SP).
“The Commission would like to confirm and reaffirm its position that only campaign materials depicting the symbols, colours, images of a political party and/or pictorial images of a candidate contesting an election will be allowed and may be distributed and propagated during the campaign period ahead of the forthcoming by-elections and beyond,” Zaloumis said.
She clarified that by law, only campaign materials for contesting political parties and candidates’ ideas, policies, strategies and pictorial images of such candidates should be distributed and propagated to promote peaceful elections during campaigns.
Zaloumis, however, said the clarification generated further debate from Political Parties that were not taking part in the election and questioned the legal basis of such guidance.
“Some stakeholders have gone as far as claiming that the clarification and guidance were illegal and unconstitutional citing the constitutional provisions in Articles 20 and 21 that guarantee citizens freedom of Expression and Association,” she said.
Zaloumjs reiterated that, in as much as the Constitution in Article 20 and 21 guarantees citizens the freedoms and rights, the same provisions define such freedoms and rights on account of public order, safety, defense and morality among others.
She said since the electoral process was anchored on established laws and in peaceful and orderly electoral environments, the maintenance of public order and respect for the rule of law among players during electoral campaigns was paramount in safeguarding individual freedoms and peace during campaigns.
“The Commission wishes to state from the onset that the ECZ has been utilising the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) technology in the voter registration process since 2006, therefore this is not a new development as being alleged,” Zaloumis added.
She dimissed allegations that the Commission wanted to use the system to rig the 2026 general elections, describing the allegations levelled against the Commission as baseless, misguided and unfounded.
Meanwhile, Zaloumis announced that the Commission was scheduled to conduct a Mass Mobile Registration of Voters exercise in 2025 in preparation for the 2026 General Election, targeting to capture an estimated 3.5 million Zambians that will be eligible to register as voters.
“The new registrations will be added to the current register that stands at 7.073 million voters,” she said.
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