ECZ has lost credibility – Mwenye

…to preside over the 2026 general election, says Zambia’s electoral body with its current leadership is incapable of delivering free, fair and transparent elections next year because its leadership is composed of ruling party members

By NATION REPORTER

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) in its current form is incapable of presiding over a free, fair and credible 2026 general election because its leadership is composed of known members of the UPND, State Counsel Musa Mwenye has said.
Mr Mwenye, who is both Zambia’s former Attorney General and Solicitor General says ECZ had been compromised by political appointments and could no longer be trusted to deliver a transparent electoral process.
Featuring on Emmanuel Mwamba Verified (EMV) podcast on Sunday, Mr Mwenye has specifically questioned the appointment of ECZ chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis, whom he has characterised as a well-known sympathiser of the ruling UPND to preside over the country’s electoral system without being partisan in her decisions.
“It is surprising that the UPND has departed from the tradition of appointing ECZ chairpersons from among sitting judges, who were usually deemed impartial and commanded respect from opposition parties and other stakeholders,” Mr Mwenye said.
He warned that even at the technical and staff levels, the commission had been riddled with politically imbued individuals, thereby eroding public confidence in its ability to manage the upcoming elections.
“ECZ has historically been very respected, even at regional and continental level. As a country, we were a model of how to manage elections,” Mr Mwenye said.
He explained that appointing Judges as ECZ chairpersons had helped preserve impartiality, citing the late Justice Irene Mambilima as an example of a respected head of the commission who engaged stakeholders across the political divide, including the late President Michael Sata.
Mr Mwenye stressed that politics by nature was noisy, which made it crucial for the ECZ to be headed by an individual completely divorced from partisan interests.
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Impunity throws away the respect of the law, and it is cancerous – it grows. Impunity comes in when people stop respecting the Constitution,” Mr Mwenye, the immediate past Anti-Corruption Commission board chairperson said.
warned.
And on governance issues, Mr Mwenye said the fight against corruption should be non-partisan and rooted in respect for court orders and constitutional provisions.
He criticised certain clauses in most of the bills passed including the rejected and infamous Bill 7 and government actions as not progressive, warning that they eroded the rule of law.
Mr Mwenye also raised concerns about the current delimitation exercise, saying the process risked being perceived as a political project because of its timing and lack of broad-based consultation.
“The timing of the idea to push for delimitation through Bill 7 is not right. There must be wide consultation, otherwise the constituencies that will emerge will be perceived as politically motivated,” Mr Mwenye cautioned.
Mr Mwenye urged Government to restore public trust in ECZ by depoliticising appointments and recommitting to the principles of impartiality and transparency as the country heads into next