RP ACCEPTS HH's VICTORY

New opposition party concedes defeat, rules out election petition and calls for national healing

By Francis Maingaila

Lusaka, Zambia24 — 20-08-2026 The Resolute Party has conceded defeat in the August 13 general election and ruled out challenging the presidential results in court, saying the country must now put the election behind it and focus on healing and development.

Party president Martin Phiri said Resolute had accepted President Hakainde Hichilema’s victory and would not petition the presidential election, arguing that the outcome was decisive and that a legal challenge would be counterproductive.

“We have resolved as a party that petitioning the election at this stage would be counterproductive,” Phiri said.

He congratulated Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) on their victory, while also commending Brian Mundubile and his running mate, McBeye Zulu, for what he described as a spirited campaign.

The Resolute Party participated in the election as part of the opposition alliance, with Zulu serving as its running mate, while the party also fielded candidates in parliamentary and local government elections.

Phiri said the party had since held a post-election meeting to assess its performance, while consultations with grassroots members and party structures across the country were continuing on its future in the alliance.

He said the public would be informed once the consultations were concluded and the party had made a decision on its continued stay in the alliance.

Despite losing the presidential race, Phiri said the election had given the nine-month-old party an encouraging start, with Resolute securing five parliamentary seats and winning several council and chairperson positions.

He said the party now had more than 20 elected representatives, describing the result as a major milestone for a young political party.

Phiri congratulated all Resolute candidates and members who took part in the election, saying their courage and commitment had helped establish the party on the political map.

He said Resolute would now settle into its role as an opposition party and use its representation in Parliament to keep the government in check.

“As a party with representation in Parliament, RP will provide robust checks and balances to ensure accountability, transparency and good governance,” he said.

But Phiri said the country needed more than political accountability after a bruising election campaign.

He said the campaign had been divisive and called on political leaders and ordinary citizens to put aside their differences and begin the process of national healing.

“The campaign was divisive. The time has come to unite and move Zambia forward,” Phiri said.

He urged Zambians to rally behind Hichilema and give the UPND administration room to work, saying the country could not afford to remain divided after the elections.

Phiri also announced changes in the party’s leadership, introducing Howard Timulu as the new Secretary General following his appointment on July 31, 2026.

Timulu said he was honoured to join the young party and pledged to contribute to building an effective opposition that would speak out whenever government needed to be held accountable.

Meanwhile, Resolute Party parliamentary candidate for Makeni Constituency, Kavimbu Hakachima, said he had accepted his defeat and would not challenge the result.

“I participated in the elections and I lost the election. I am not petitioning because I think politics is about serving the people,” Hakachima said.

He appealed to Zambians to concentrate on healing the country after the tensions that accompanied the election campaign.

Hakachima said the healing process should be political, emotional, spiritual and mental, arguing that only a healed nation could move forward.

He also condemned political violence and appealed to leaders to ensure that no Zambian loses their life because of political differences.

“No one should die because of politics,” he said.

Hakachima further urged political parties and their supporters to stop circulating unverified information on social media, saying political maturity was needed now that the elections were over.

He said losing an election was part of democracy and that politicians should be prepared to accept defeat when voters choose another candidate.

“This was not our time,” Hakachima said, urging his supporters to return to the drawing board and prepare for future elections.

He said the attention of politicians should now turn to the problems affecting ordinary Zambians, particularly the economy and the delivery of basic services.

According to Hakachima, Zambians want hospitals stocked with medicines, children in school, food on the table and reliable electricity.

“We need to work hard to ensure that we have medicines in the hospitals, our children go to school, there is food on the table and three meals on the table for every Zambian,” he said.

He appealed to opposition parties to work with the government where necessary so that the country could recover from the divisions of the election period and concentrate on development.

The Resolute Party’s decision not to petition the presidential election marks a clear acceptance of Hichilema’s victory, while the party prepares to use its newly won parliamentary seats to scrutinise the government.

For Phiri and his party, the election may be over, but the work of building a stronger political organisation — and pushing for better living conditions for Zambians — is only beginning.