Government has challenged key findings of the European Union Election Observation Mission’s final report on the 13 August elections, arguing that observers reached significant conclusions without hearing the State’s side. Chief Government Spokesperson and Minister of Information and Media Elvis Nkandu said Government was not given sufficient opportunity to provide historical, institutional and security context. He said certain findings therefore risk presenting an incomplete picture of Zambia’s democratic journey. The statement, dated 3 November, was issued within hours of the mission presenting its report in Lusaka. Mr Nkandu nonetheless welcomed the mission’s acknowledgement that the elections offered a competitive choice and that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) was well prepared.
Mr Nkandu took issue with the report’s concern over legal reforms enacted close to the polls. He said the report creates the impression that amending electoral laws in an election year is exceptional under President Hakainde Hichilema. He cited constitutional changes under Kenneth Kaunda ahead of the 1991 elections, the parentage clause introduced by Frederick Chiluba in 1996, and the 50 per cent plus one threshold and running mate clause adopted under Edgar Lungu in 2016. The 2026 reforms, he said, belong to the same tradition, and presenting them without that history risks a misleading impression.
On ZNBC, which the mission found gave 96.2 per cent of its television airtime to the ruling party, Mr Nkandu said the conclusion was reached without adequately engaging the broadcaster. He said ZNBC sells commercial airtime to all parties on equal terms, and that the extent to which the opposition used it is a matter of record. He argued that a sitting President is naturally the principal messenger of public policy. Coverage of presidential activities, he said, reflects Government business and has been a feature of the broadcaster under every administration.
On security, Mr Nkandu said observers can only assess what they directly see and do not have access to the intelligence, law enforcement investigations and national security assessments available to the State. He said some political actors and their supporters were subjects of investigations into serious criminal allegations that posed legitimate concerns for public order. He maintained that Zambia’s media environment remains vibrant and pluralistic, with criticism of Government freely expressed. He said Government remains committed to engaging the EU, political parties, civil society and the media in strengthening democratic processes.
The statement did not respond directly to the mission’s findings on irregularities at totalling centres, the non-publication of full presidential results, the six-hour suspension of counting or the closure of courts during the petition window.
Below is the full statement.
STATEMENT BY HON. ELVIS C. NKANDU, MP, MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND MEDIA AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON, IN RESPONSE TO THE EUROPEAN UNION ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION FINAL REPORT ON THE 2026 GENERAL ELECTIONS.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia has taken note of the Final Report issued by the European Union Election Observation Mission regarding the 13 August 2026 General Elections. We appreciate the Mission’s acknowledgement that the elections provided Zambians with a competitive choice, that polling staff administered voting efficiently, that the legal framework provided a broadly adequate basis for democratic elections, and that the Electoral Commission of Zambia was well prepared for the electoral process.
First, the Government was not afforded sufficient opportunity to provide historical, institutional and security context regarding a number of issues upon which significant conclusions appear to have been based. As a result, certain findings risk presenting an incomplete picture of Zambia’s democratic journey. In a democracy, context matters as much as observation
