FODEP Says Elections Largely Peaceful, Flags Problems With Voter Register and Results Collation

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) says Zambia’s August 13 General Election was largely peaceful and orderly, but has raised concerns over voter registration errors and challenges observed during the counting and collation of results.

In its Election Day observation statement issued by FODEP Board President Mwenda Mumbuna, the organisation said it accredited 972 volunteer monitors who were deployed on a self-funded basis across the country.

FODEP said the overwhelming majority of polling stations observed opened around the prescribed 06:00 hours, although isolated delays were recorded. At Ngombe PTA School in Lusaka, voting only started at 09:20 after a truck carrying voting booths and tables was blocked by people who alleged that it contained rigged ballots. The station was subsequently allowed to remain open long enough to provide voters with the full 12 hours of voting.

The organisation described voting across the country as largely peaceful and orderly, with substantial queues recorded early in the morning. In some areas, voters reportedly began queuing as early as 01:00 hours, while FODEP said additional polling streams helped reduce congestion as the day progressed.

However, FODEP raised concern over voter registration problems that prevented some people from casting their ballots.

The organisation recorded cases where information on voters’ cards did not correspond with the locations in the electoral register. In one case in Lusaka, a voter whose card indicated Lusaka Golf Club as the polling station reportedly discovered that they had instead been assigned to a polling station in Mongu, Western Province.

FODEP has consequently called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia to undertake a thorough review of the voter registration database and strengthen voter verification ahead of future elections.

The organisation also identified problems during the counting and collation of results.

Its monitors reported that the Ndola Girls totalling centre only began processing results at about 02:46 hours. In Lusaka, FODEP said some electoral officers appeared uncertain about procedures, while in Kabwe some results were improperly completed or submitted in duplicate instead of triplicate, requiring corrections before verification.

FODEP has called on ECZ to provide adequate technical support at totalling centres to speed up the verification process.

Despite the challenges, the organisation commended Zambians, the ECZ and law enforcement agencies for what it described as a largely peaceful election. Isolated incidents were recorded in Kawambwa and Kabwe but were brought under control without disrupting voting.

FODEP has meanwhile warned Zambians against relying on unverified election results circulating on social media, saying some information may be misleading or intended to create anxiety.

It has urged citizens to remain calm and rely primarily on official announcements from the Electoral Commission of Zambia, which it noted is the body mandated to declare election results.

The organisation has also appealed to candidates and supporters to accept officially declared outcomes or pursue grievances through established legal mechanisms rather than violence.

FODEP says it will release a comprehensive interim report in the coming days, followed by its full report on the 2026 General Election.

Facebook Version

FODEP Says Elections Largely Peaceful, Flags Problems With Voter Register and Results Collation

FODEP says Zambia’s General Election was largely peaceful and orderly, but has raised concerns over voter registration errors and challenges during results collation.

The organisation, which deployed 972 volunteer monitors, recorded cases of voters being assigned to different polling locations from those indicated on their voter cards. It also reported procedural challenges at some totalling centres in Lusaka, Ndola and Kabwe.

FODEP has called on ECZ to address the challenges while urging Zambians to remain calm, avoid unverified results circulating on social media and rely on official ECZ announcements.