Independent Candidate Raises Concerns Over ECZ Last-Minute Changes

By Pauline Ngozoh

Independent Presidential Candidate Rev. Given Katuta Mwelwa has expressed concern over last-minute announcements by the Electoral Commission of Zambia on voting procedures and the announcement of election results. She said introducing new interpretations days before polling risks creating confusion and mistrust among voters, polling agents, candidates and election officials.

She has highlighted two key areas of concern. The first relates to ballot marking, where there are fears of a departure from the standard requirement to mark an “X”. She urged ECZ to immediately clarify the legal basis for any changes and ensure one uniform standard is applied nationwide to avoid disputes over valid and rejected ballots.

The second concern is around the progressive announcement of results. She stressed that Zambians should be able to follow results transparently from polling stations through constituency tallying centres to the national level.

Dr. Mwelwa called on ECZ to urgently clarify the new directives and reaffirm key principles ahead of voting. These include open announcement of polling-station results, issuance of result forms to polling agents, and ensuring constituency and national totals remain reconcilable with polling-station figures. She said certainty in the rules builds public confidence, while ambiguity at this stage could undermine trust in the integrity of the 2026 General Election.