Zambia stops election vote count amid violence fears
· The South African
Zambia has suspended the counting and announcement of election results nationwide after the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) reported violence targeting polling staff and the alleged theft of marked ballot papers.
The commission announced the suspension on Friday, a day after Zambians voted in presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.
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The nation held presidential, parliamentary and local government elections on Thursday.
The ECZ said it had received reports of violence “during the counting and announcement of results in some districts”.
It said the violence was “targeted at Poll staff” and, in some cases, had resulted in “the theft of marked ballot papers in ballot boxes”.
The commission said it had acted because of the security situation and continued threats of violence.
“In view of the security situation and continued threats of violence,” the ECZ said it had “with immediate effect suspended the counting and announcement of results throughout the country”.
The commission cited Section 67 (3) of the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016 as the legal basis for the suspension.
Electoral Commission of Zambia to review suspension
The suspension has put the brakes on the counting process as Zambia waits for the outcome of a closely watched presidential election.
The ECZ said it would review the decision within 24 hours.
“The Commission will review the suspension within 24 hours,” it said.
Counting began shortly after polling stations closed on Thursday, but no official presidential results had been announced when the commission halted the process.
The ECZ had previously expected to complete the announcement of the presidential results by Monday.
Opposition raises concerns over delays
The suspension came shortly after opposition candidate Brian Mundubile expressed “grave concern” over delays in announcing the presidential results.
Mundubile warned that prolonged delays could create opportunities for interference or manipulation.
He also cited what he described as “deeply troubling reports” from several areas, including alleged military involvement at tallying centres and concerns about the movement of ballot boxes.
Mundubile called for the immediate publication of results on a polling-station-by-polling-station basis.
He also called for the protection of the chain of custody of ballot materials and investigations into the reported incidents.
Hichilema urges Zambians to remain calm
President Hakainde Hichilema, who is seeking a second five-year term, has urged Zambians to remain calm while the electoral authorities handle the situation.
Hichilema faces 13 challengers, with Mundubile regarded as one of his main opponents.
The president urged citizens to remain “peaceful, patient and patriotic” as they await the official outcome from the authorities managing the election.
The ECZ’s decision has now created uncertainty over when Zambia will receive the official election results, with the commission first needing to assess the security situation before deciding whether to resume counting.