Zambia: Shaheen, Booker, Merkley, Van Hollen Issue Statement Ahead of Elections in Zambia

What the report says

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Cory Booker, Jeff Merkley and Chris Van Hollen released a joint statement ahead of Zambia’s August 13 elections, urging peaceful and fair voting. The statement was issued from the U.S. Senate and was distributed by AllAfrica through a report from the United States Senate.

The senators said the United States has a long-running relationship with Zambia, pointing to cooperation on peacekeeping, public health programs such as PEPFAR and democracy support. They also said recent U.S.-Zambia ties have been strained by the Trump administration’s effort to connect health assistance with access to critical minerals, but argued that continued cooperation remains important.

In the statement, the senators expressed concern about what they described as efforts by Zambia’s ruling party to shape the election environment. They cited claims of uneven enforcement of campaign rules, arrests of political opponents in past elections and recent constitutional and electoral changes made without broad civil society consultation. Their remarks referenced President Hakainde Hichilema and the governing United Party for National Development.

The lawmakers called on all candidates and parties to respect peaceful campaigning and consistent rule enforcement, and asked the U.S. State Department to deepen engagement with Zambian civil society. The appeal comes as Zambia prepares for a vote that observers will likely view as an important test of democratic competition and electoral administration.