Zambia Catholic Bishops Demand Transparency in Election Tallying

What the report says

The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has called for greater transparency in the country’s August 13 general election tallying, as the Electoral Commission of Zambia continues counting presidential, parliamentary and local results. In a pastoral statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday, August 16, the bishops said delays and uncertainty around ballot handling could weaken trust in the final outcome.

According to Nile Post, the bishops specifically questioned reports about ballot custody, including concerns that some election materials were at times handled by police or army personnel rather than the electoral commission and its authorised agents. They urged the ECZ to account publicly for the chain of custody of affected ballot boxes and papers, and to ensure security officers do not have unsupervised control over election materials.

The bishops also raised concerns about the visible deployment of soldiers and military vehicles at polling and tallying centres, saying election security is primarily the role of the police. They warned that such a presence could intimidate voters, officials and party agents. In addition, they asked for clarity on reports of harassment of opposition figures and any temporary disappearances, while stressing that anyone detained should be properly accounted for and given legal access.

The statement comes amid tension over delayed presidential results. The article says incumbent Hakainde Hichilema was ahead when about half the results had been read, while opposition candidate Brian Mundubile questioned the process. The bishops did not endorse any candidate, but said the final count should be handled openly and without fear or favour to protect public confidence in the election.