Election Nomination Concerns



NGOCC raises alarm over irregularities, violence and disputed processes ahead of 2026 polls

By Francis Maingaila
Lusaka. Zambia24 --- (24-05-2026) - The Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has raised concerns over irregularities, violence and confusion during candidate nomination processes ahead of the 13th August 2026 General Elections.

NGOCC Board Chairperson Beauty Katebe said the concerns stem from reports of disrupted nomination processes, disputed adoption certificates and incidents of intimidation in some parts of the country.

Katebe said NGOCC’s core mandate is to promote equal participation of women and men in governance, noting that women remain underrepresented in political leadership in Zambia.

She said the organisation engaged political parties before the nomination period to advocate for the adoption of more women candidates. NGOCC also submitted lists of qualified women for consideration in various parties’ adoption processes.

Katebe said political parties were generally open to engagement and discussions on improving women’s participation. She added that NGOCC also supported and mentored aspiring female candidates, including independent contestants, to help them navigate the nomination process.

At the start of nominations, Katebe said NGOCC provided solidarity and support to women across political parties and independent candidates. She noted that several women successfully filed nominations, describing this as progress in women’s political participation.

Katebe said NGOCC is now awaiting the official list of validly nominated candidates from the Electoral Commission of Zambia () to assess the level of women’s representation in the final candidate list.

However, Katebe expressed concern over reports of violence, irregularities and disputes, including cases of contested or duplicated adoption certificates. She also raised concern over the detention of NGOCC team members while supporting a female aspirant, saying the incident undermined democratic values.

Katebe said political violence continues to discourage women from participating in elections by creating fear and limiting their ability to contest for public office.

She called on political parties, law enforcement agencies and all stakeholders to ensure peace, fairness and transparency throughout the electoral process, urging a violence-free and issue-based campaign period.

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