09/08/2026
ZAMBIA'S DEMOCRACY ON SHOW
By Ngande Mwanajiti
Zambia's general elections scheduled for August 13 will be open to a host of observers, both domestic and international. Welcoming scrutiny of the polls is an essential part of the democratic process, reaffirming trust in the outcome and supporting the maturation of our political framework in the weeks, months and years that follow.
With days left to go, many observers are now travelling to their appointed stations across the country, while other long-term observers have already been present for many weeks. Among the international representatives to have arrived for the 2026 polls following an invitation from Government are European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission (EOM), headed by chief observer Michael McNamara MEP, and Southern African Development Community (SADC) EOM, chaired by former Malawian Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Samuel Tembenu. When it comes to domestic observers, representatives of various groups have been accredited, including from Transparency International – Zambia (TI-Z) and Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG), which will also be running a Parallel Voter Tabulation (PVT) exercise.
Observers are trained representatives that monitor both the preparedness and the conduct of the electoral process. Some observers visit a sample of stations, observing at each for around 30 to 40 minutes, while others will be present from the time polls open at 06:00 hours until they close.
They record and report areas or incidents of concern and identify challenges that occur prior to, during and following voting. The objective is to provide a fact-based, comprehensive and independent analysis, with an interim report or preliminary statement of findings usually generated shortly after the vote.
In this case both EU and SADC have indicated that they plan to issue a statement on August 15. This will then be followed by comprehensive reports detailing the full findings of the missions.
These representatives have a critical role to play in promoting transparency. They also act as a further deterrent to fraud. They do not project or verify results or the outcome when it comes to the number of votes cast for one candidate or another, but they do provide the context within which official results can be understood, thereby either reinforcing or undermining the legitimacy of the same.
In the 2026 polls, observers may prove particularly important in guarding against the rise in disinformation that is circulating and which has been alleged to be part of a deliberate effort to delegitimise the outcome.
Longer term, these missions offer us a valuable mechanism by which we can strengthen our democracy, monitoring and assessing practices over time. In the 2026 polls, observers may prove particularly important in guarding against the rise in disinformation that is circulating and which has been alleged to be part of a deliberate effort to delegitimise the outcome.
The EU, for example, has observed elections in more than 80 countries globally. Meanwhile, Zambia's participation in SADC missions in recent years represents another such opportunity. Allowing us to share expertise and experience, as well as to better reflect on our own standing.
The EU has observed every election in Zambia since 2001 and CCMG, which was launched by a consortium of domestic civil society groups in November 2014, has monitored presidential elections since 2015. This enables missions to make constructive comparisons over time, with analyses and recommendations informed by the conduct of past elections.
International observers also offer up a channel for sharing and exchanging information and expertise which can be mutually beneficial and support improvements to the democratic process, both in Zambia and elsewhere, over time.
The 2026 elections offer up an important opportunity for Zambia to uphold and grow its reputation as a beacon of peace and democracy in the region. To deliver on this, we must allow observers, both domestic and international, the space to operate, respect their voice and expertise, and engage constructively with their findings.
The author is a governance expert and human rights activist.
This piece was originally published in the Zambian Daily Mail.
