The European Union has finally released its comprehensive report on Zambia's August 13, 2026 general elections, raising questions about police conduct, the role of the state broadcaster, campaign conditions and transparency in the management of election results. The report, released in Lusaka on Tuesday, November 3, gives a detailed assessment of the electoral process, identifying The European Union has finally released its comprehensive report on Zambia's August 13, 2026 general elections, raising questions about police conduct, the role of the state broadcaster, campaign conditions and transparency in the management of election results. The report, released in Lusaka on Tuesday, November 3, gives a detailed assessment of the electoral process, identifying The EU has released its final report on Zambia's August 2026 elections, raising concerns over police conduct, ZNBC coverage, campaign conditions and results transparency.

The European Union has finally released its comprehensive report on Zambia’s August 13, 2026 general elections, raising questions about police conduct, the role of the state broadcaster, campaign conditions and transparency in the management of election results.

The report, released in Lusaka on Tuesday, November 3, gives a detailed assessment of the electoral process, identifying both areas where Zambia made progress and shortcomings that the EU says require attention before future elections.

For Zambian Eye, the report is significant because it goes beyond election-day activities and examines the wider environment in which political parties and candidates competed.

The EU Election Observation Mission has made 13 recommendations, eight of which it has classified as priority recommendations.

So, what exactly did the European observers find?

The positives: ECZ preparedness and competitive choice

The EU did not dismiss the entire electoral process.

Its final report acknowledges that the August elections offered voters a competitive choice and that polling staff administered voting efficiently.

The mission also recognised that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) was well-prepared for the elections and that the country’s amended legal framework provided a broadly adequate basis for democratic elections.

Other positive developments included an inclusive and transparent candidate registration process and the introduction of an online voter registration portal.

The mission further observed that the online environment remained accessible during the election period, allowing candidates, civil society organisations and fact-checkers to participate in public debate.

However, it said these positive developments were accompanied by shortcomings that affected the wider electoral environment.

Police conduct and unequal campaign conditions

One of the major concerns raised in the report relates to the campaign environment and the conduct of law enforcement agencies.

The EU mission cited what it described as police bias, cadreism and undue incumbency advantage, saying these factors constrained opposition campaigning and tilted the playing field.

It also noted that the absence of political finance laws limited accountability among political parties.

The mission further observed that the late and cumbersome accreditation of election observers narrowed opportunities for long-term observation.

These concerns raise important questions about whether all political players enjoyed equal conditions during the campaign period.

ZNBC under scrutiny

The state broadcaster, Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), also features prominently in the report.

The EU mission described ZNBC’s coverage as overwhelmingly biased towards the incumbent during the electoral period.

It also linked what it described as growing self-censorship to the country’s cyber laws.

Among its recommendations is the transformation of ZNBC into a genuine public service broadcaster, particularly during election campaigns.

The mission has also called for cyber laws to be aligned with Zambia’s international commitments on freedom of expression.

Questions over the handling of election results

Perhaps one of the most consequential observations concerns transparency during the results process.

EU Chief Observer Michael McNamara, a Member of the European Parliament, said the suspension of counting and the subsequent closure of courts curtailed transparency and access to justice.

He described these as two important pillars of a democratic election.

The mission argues that transparency must be maintained throughout the electoral process, including during the tabulation of results.

This is an issue that will remain central to discussions about public confidence in the electoral process.

Women, young people and persons with disabilities

The report also raises concerns about the participation of women, young people and persons with disabilities as candidates.

The mission said their marginalisation demonstrated the need for stronger efforts to promote equitable political participation.

It argues that electoral reforms should not only focus on the administration of voting and counting but should also ensure that different groups have meaningful opportunities to participate in the political process.

The eight priority recommendations

The EU Election Observation Mission has made 13 recommendations, with eight classified as priorities.

The priority recommendations focus on:

1. Reviewing the electoral legal framework well before elections to avoid uncertainty and allow adequate implementation of changes.
2. Ensuring transparency throughout the electoral process, from the pre-election period through voting and the announcement of results.
3. Protecting freedom of assembly and ensuring equal campaign opportunities for political parties and candidates.
4. Transforming ZNBC into a genuine public service broadcaster, particularly during election campaigns.
5. Aligning cyber laws with international commitments on freedom of expression.
6. Guaranteeing unhindered access for election observers.
7. Guaranteeing effective access to due process in electoral matters, including access to justice.
8. Maintaining transparency during the results tabulation process.

The mission says the recommendations are intended to strengthen transparency, inclusiveness and accountability in future elections.

McNamara said the European Union remained ready to support Zambia in implementing the proposed reforms.

“Democracy is being tested globally and cannot be taken for granted even in states where it is well-established,” he said.

He called for renewed political will and concerted action to promote accountability, transparency, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and equitable political participation.

Government welcomes report but disputes some findings

Government has welcomed the EU mission’s observations but expressed reservations about some of its conclusions and recommendations.

Chief Government Spokesperson and Minister of Information and Media Elvis Nkandu said Zambia appreciated constructive election observations that could contribute to strengthening democratic institutions.

However, Nkandu argued that Government was not given sufficient opportunity to provide historical, institutional and security context on some of the matters examined by the mission.

He said certain findings risked presenting an incomplete picture of Zambia’s democratic journey.

On electoral and constitutional reforms undertaken ahead of the August elections, Nkandu disputed the impression that such changes during an election year were exceptional under the current administration.

He argued that successive administrations had undertaken significant constitutional and electoral reforms during election years, citing changes under previous governments.

Government also questioned the report’s conclusions on ZNBC, saying the broadcaster should have been directly engaged to explain its statutory mandate, editorial obligations and operational practices.

On security-related findings, Nkandu said election observers could only assess matters they directly observed and might not have access to intelligence, security information and law enforcement investigations available to State institutions.

He added that some political actors and their supporters were subjects of investigations involving allegations of criminal conduct, which Government said went beyond ordinary political activity.

Regarding media freedom, the Minister maintained that Zambia had a diverse media landscape comprising public, private, community and online platforms, with citizens and media organisations able to express different views, including criticism of Government.

Nkandu said Government respected the EU mission’s observations but believed a fuller appreciation of Zambia’s constitutional history, institutional realities, media landscape and security environment would have produced a more balanced assessment.

He nevertheless acknowledged the report’s recognition that the elections offered voters a competitive choice, polling staff administered voting efficiently, the legal framework provided a broadly adequate basis for democratic elections and the ECZ was well-prepared.

How the EU conducted its observation

The EU Election Observation Mission was in Zambia from June 29 to September 1, 2026, following an invitation from the Zambian Government.

On election day, it deployed 100 observers drawn from 26 European Union Member States, as well as Canada and Norway.

The mission’s final report is intended to provide recommendations for consideration by Zambian authorities ahead of future electoral processes.

Its release comes amid continued debate over the conduct of the August elections, the post-election political environment and the handling of opposition-related cases.

What happens next?

The report now places electoral reform, media independence, freedom of assembly, access to justice and transparency in results management among the issues requiring attention before the next general election.

The recommendations are not, by themselves, a declaration that the election results were invalid. Rather, they identify areas where the EU mission believes improvements are necessary to strengthen future electoral processes.

For Zambia, the challenge will be whether the recommendations translate into concrete reforms and what steps Government and the relevant institutions will take to implement them.

The question now is not simply what the EU found, but what Zambia will do with the findings.

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