Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis says the redistribution of proportional representation (PR) seats was done in accordance with the law and did not amount to political manipulation or collusion.
Mrs Zaloumis says the Electoral Process Act No. 12 of 2026 provides a 21-day period for processing the seats, divided into three stages: seven days for the Commission to allocate seats and notify qualifying political parties, seven days for parties to submit their lists of nominees, and another seven days for the ECZ to process and validate the candidates.
She says Section 36C of the Act requires qualifying political parties to submit their lists within seven days of being notified of their allocated seats, adding that the law requires the Commission to redistribute the seats to other qualifying parties if a party fails to meet the deadline.
Mrs Zaloumis says the responsibility to submit the lists rests with the political parties and not the Commission, which has no authority to disregard the consequences prescribed by law.
She says the Commission allocated seats to qualifying political parties following the August 13, 2026 general election and provided guidance on the submission of nominees and the qualifications they must meet.
Mrs Zaloumis says the ECZ is open to scrutiny and recognises the right of political parties and members of the public to question electoral decisions, but urges stakeholders to seek clarification and avoid making allegations of manipulation without supporting evidence.
She says the mixed-member proportional representation system is new to Zambia and calls on the media to help educate the public on how the seats are allocated at parliamentary and local government levels, including the representation of women, youths and persons with disabilities.
By Mike Mwendachabe
