ECZ has no power to choose leaders, says Kapyanga
By Adrian Mwanza
INTENTIONS by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to use the Electoral Process (Amendment) Bill to disqualify candidates in the August 13 general election will not be tolerated, Mpika Member of Parliament Francis Kapyanga has said.
Contributing to the debate on the Electoral Process (Amendment) Bill No.44 of 2026 which came up for second reading in Parliament yesterday, Kapyanga warned that any attempt to block candidates would be met with fierce resistance.
“ECZ does not have a role to play in who becomes the president or who should become a Member of Parliament and so on, but should just facilitate the holding of peaceful and transparent elections in the country,” he said.
Kapyanga warned that any attempt by the government to introduce legislation designed to block opposition leaders from participating in the electoral process would provoke widespread resistance from the Zambian people.
He said as the country’s electoral body, ECZ had a constitutional duty to champion good governance, the rule of law and democratic principles and not to narrow the political space or suppress political competition.
“Such undertakings during an election period are what bring such suspicions because people will start thinking that such a law was just created to block certain politicians and information out there is that the law is meant to disadvantage certain people. ECZ does not have a role in who should become the President, Member of Parliament and so on,” he said.
Kapyanga said through its conduct and public pronouncements, ECZ had created a strong impression that the Bill was being crafted as a vehicle to target and exclude specific individuals from participating in the electoral process.
“Our forefathers fought draconian laws and even right now, Zambians are ready to fight draconian laws if they are forced,” he said.
