Zambia election not free or fair, Mundubile says

Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile said Wednesday that Thursday’s general election was on course to be neither free nor fair, accusing authorities of restricting his campaign against President Hakainde Hichilema.

“An election is a process and not an event,” Mundubile told AFP. “The process that we have undergone so far can only point to one thing and one thing only: the election will not be free and fair.”

Zambia, a southern African country of 22 million people, votes Thursday in an election in which Hichilema is seeking a second term. About 8.7 million people are registered to vote. Voters will also choose an expanded parliament and local government councillors.

Mundubile, 55, leads the NRPUP party and entered the presidential race in May with backing from a newly formed opposition alliance. He is a lawyer and accountant and served as a minister under the Patriotic Front, which lost power in 2021.

Mundubile said he had been unable to campaign freely, alleging that his side was denied permits to fly while his opponent had three helicopters and could hold several rallies a day. He also said his passport had been withheld for four months and that his phones had been confiscated.

He was detained in March at Zambia’s main airport and charged in connection with alleged hate speech before being released on police bond.

Police and the Electoral Commission of Zambia say presidential candidates are allocated five days in each of Zambia’s 10 provinces, with each candidate scheduled to visit every province once during the campaign, to prevent clashes between rival rallies. The commission banned Mundubile’s rallies in northern Zambia for a month after a clash between rival supporters left one person dead.

Mundubile accused police of interfering at every stage and alleged violence by Hichilema’s UPND. He said the electoral commission had not acted to suspend UPND campaigns.

Hichilema’s government has steered Zambia through a debt restructuring, restored macroeconomic stability and returned the economy to growth. Many Zambians are still waiting to feel the benefits, with unemployment near 10% and more than 70% of the population living on less than three dollars a day, according to World Bank data.

Mundubile said Hichilema had focused on private capital and foreign interests. He said his own side wanted to protect foreign investors’ interests, but that the arrangement should be “win-win” for Zambia.