ECZ has lost credibility, says Mwenye

ECZ has lost credibility, says Mwenye

By Tony Nkhoma

ZAMBIA’S electoral system is fast losing credibility and the hard-earned respect it once enjoyed on the continent because political cadres are at the helm of the country’s electoral body, State Counsel Musa Mwenye has said.

Speaking when he featured on the EMV podcast recently, Mwenye said the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) had lost both respect and credibility because it was now being managed by partisan officials.

He said electoral management bodies should inspire confidence in citizens, not create doubt.

“Electoral management bodies are important not only for managing elections, but also for inspiring confidence in the electoral process and therefore promoting peace,” he said.

Mwenye noted that Zambia’s electoral system was once admired across Africa because it avoided appointing politically exposed persons to lead ECZ.

“The reason the electoral management body was respected historically on the continent is because of the deliberate decision to appoint clearly non-partisan individuals whose actions were apolitical,” he said.

He expressed concern that the political affiliations of current ECZ officials had undermined public trust and posed a danger not just for Zambia but for the region.

Mwenye said ECZ must be managed by officers without political ties if it is to restore its integrity.

“Historically, the deliberate decision to have the chairperson as a judge helped a lot because judges are not usually active members of political parties and therefore would not have historical ties to any political grouping,” he said.

Mwenye said judges bring impartiality, fairness, and justice to the role — qualities essential for managing elections.

“Past ECZ chairpersons had an open-door policy, accommodating all political players including the opposition. That boosted confidence in the independence of the institution,” he said.

Mwenye stressed that for elections to be credible, the ECZ must be respected and widely accepted by all stakeholders.

“Elections must be managed in an impartial way. The commission should not descend into being part of political fights, which are naturally noisy,” he said.