The battle over who qualifies to contest Zambia’s 2026 General Elections is far from over.
Just a day after the Constitutional Court dismissed a petition challenging the eligibility of Socialist Party presidential candidate Dr. Fred M’membe and his running mate Dolika Banda, the Consortium of Civil Society Organisations for Good Governance and Constitutionalism has come out strongly, insisting that critical constitutional and legal questions remain unanswered.
Consortium Chairperson Isaac Mwanza says the court’s decision to dispose of the matter on technical grounds has left unresolved issues surrounding candidate eligibility, independent candidature and compliance with constitutional requirements.
While acknowledging the court’s ruling, the group argues that an important opportunity was missed to provide legal clarity on matters that directly affect electoral integrity and public confidence in the democratic process.
The civil society organisations maintain that their actions are not driven by politics or personalities but by a desire to safeguard constitutionalism, accountability and the rule of law.
They have further revealed that their scrutiny of candidates seeking public office is continuing and that, in the coming days, they expect to publicly identify additional candidates whose qualifications and eligibility they believe warrant further investigation by relevant authorities.
The consortium has also vowed to pursue other legal avenues, including a pending Constitutional Court petition seeking an authoritative interpretation of provisions governing independent candidates, insisting that the fight for constitutional compliance and electoral integrity is, in their words, not the end of the matter.
By Victoria Kayeye Yambani
