M’membe briefs Commonwealth on democracy
By Mast Reporter
SOCIALIST Party (SP) presidential candidate Dr Fred M’membe says the country’s democratic space has shrunk.
Speaking when he met with a Commonwealth delegation yesterday, Dr M’membe expressed serious concerns regarding the state of Zambia’s democratic and electoral environment ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Addressing the delegation, Dr M’membe said any meaningful assessment of the upcoming elections must begin with an examination of the electoral preparation process.
He said the current situation had been characterised by growing restrictions on democratic participation and political freedoms.
“The domestic democratic space has continued to shrink over the last five years, with opposition political parties facing systematic obstacles in carrying out their constitutional mandates,” Dr M’membe said.
He said party officials had been blocked from holding mobilisation meetings by the State.
“Our party has applied on 34 occasions to hold political rallies, but all applications were denied. On one occasion when approval was granted, the party invested significant resources in organising the event, only for police officers to disrupt the gathering at the last minute citing fresh instructions,” Dr M’membe said.
He raised concerns about constitutional amendments initiated by the government, arguing that they were designed to entrench the ruling party’s hold on power.
Dr M’membe said similar attempts had previously been rejected by citizens, political stakeholders and even the courts, yet the government continued to pursue such changes.
He also said opposition candidates faced intimidation and obstruction during nominations in certain parts of the country, particularly in areas considered strongholds of the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).
“These actions were intended to prevent opposition candidates from filing nominations and to secure unopposed victories for ruling party candidates,” Dr M’membe said.
He highlighted the erosion of freedom of expression, noting that many political cases currently before the courts involved charges related to speech and criticism of government actions.
Opposition leaders and candidates were being charged with offences such as sedition and espionage.
Dr M’membe said he was currently facing legal proceedings, which he believed stemmed from his criticism of government conduct.
“Despite these challenges, we are committed to participating in the upcoming general elections. We are seeking an opportunity to reform Zambia’s electoral system and strengthen democratic governance,” he said.
Dr M’membe also questioned the effectiveness and relevance of Commonwealth election observation missions, arguing that many recommendations made following the 2021 elections had not been implemented.
He said the UPND government had promised to uphold the rule of law and repeal restrictive legislation such as the Public Order Act, yet little had changed.
He expressed concern about the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s dependence on government institutions, including the Zambia Police Service, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Ministries of Education, Health and Defence.
He said the dependence compromises the commission’s ability to operate independently and protect opposition political parties.
“As an example, in the Kawambwa parliamentary by-election, Socialist Party officials reported alleged vote-buying by the ruling party. After raising the matter with the electoral commission, we were advised to report the issue to the Anti-Corruption Commission. However, we observed that when opposition members are accused of electoral offences, law enforcement agencies often move swiftly to effect arrests without following the same procedures,” he said.
Dr M’membe said to strengthen electoral integrity and public confidence in democratic processes, there was a need to establish an independent and impartial conflict resolution body capable of addressing electoral disputes fairly and without political interference.
And speaking during the meeting, party running mate Dolika Banda emphasised the importance of ensuring that women, young people and marginalised groups were able to participate freely in the electoral process without intimidation or discrimination.
Banda expressed concern over the growing restrictions on political activities and the unequal application of the law, which she said undermines citizens’ confidence in democratic institutions.
