Zambia: Catholic Bishops Demand Transparency as Vote Counting Continues

What the report says

The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops has called for greater openness in the counting of votes from Zambia’s August 13 general election, saying delays and concerns over how ballot materials were handled could weaken trust in the result. According to a pastoral statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday, August 16, the bishops said they were defending constitutional rights, the rule of law and voters’ right to have their ballots respected.

The statement came as the Electoral Commission of Zambia continued tallying presidential, parliamentary and local election results after briefly suspending counting following reports of violence against election officials and theft of marked and unmarked ballot papers. The commission has said the security problem was brought under control and that counting resumed with tighter security. The bishops urged the commission to explain the custody of ballot boxes and papers affected by the disruption and to ensure that election materials remain under the control of authorised electoral staff, with access for party agents, observers and media.

The bishops also raised concerns about the deployment of soldiers in election-related security duties, saying policing elections is mainly the role of the Zambia Police Service. They warned that a strong military presence at polling and tallying centres could intimidate voters and officials. In addition, they called for clarity over allegations involving opposition figures and said anyone held by state agencies should be accounted for and treated according to law. The intervention adds pressure to a tense post-election period in which opposition candidate Brian Mundubile has questioned delays, while President Hakainde Hichilema has urged calm pending official results.