By Lovemore Lubinda
LUSAKA, 17 August — Zambia’s opposition National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity has called for an immediate pause to the presidential results announcement, alleging irregularities in the handling and verification of key election documents.
In separate public statements, NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu accused the Electoral Commission of Zambia of failing to follow proper procedure and raised concerns about potential interference with the vote count.
Mundubile: “G20 forms collected before verification”
In a video address on his verified social media page, Mundubile told supporters he had received reports that official polling-station result sheets, known as G20 forms, were removed from districts before the standard verification process was finished.
He said the information suggested that on 14th August, instructions were given to collect the presidential G20 forms. After what he described as resistance from some electoral officials, he alleged that further directives were sent through provincial local government structures instructing district intelligence officers to take custody of the forms.
“These forms are critical in that they form the basis on which results are collected, analysed, verified and declared,” Mundubile said. He asked who authorized the move, under what law, and into whose custody the materials were placed.
Referring to ECZ’s own announcement of a 24-hour suspension of results, he demanded transparency on what happened during that period and who accessed the election materials. He called for the suspension of further presidential announcements pending an audit, and said all election materials must be protected from unauthorized handling.
Mundubile cited specific claims from Southern Province, where he alleged there was pressure to alter figures on G20 forms, and from North Western Province, where he said there were reports of unauthorized access to results and movement of materials outside approved channels. He stated that he had been given the names of public officials in connection with the allegations.
He demanded that original G20 forms from every polling station, constituency and district be preserved, along with all electronic records, scanned copies and transmission logs. He also called for a full chain-of-custody record showing who handled the documents.
Mundubile said the claims require an urgent independent investigation and stressed that no one should be presumed responsible without evidence and due process.
Zulu: “Reconcile every polling station before proceeding”
Speaking in a separate live broadcast, running mate Makebi Zulu accused ECZ of presiding over what he called “systemic tampering” and demanded that the commission stop announcing results.
Zulu said NRPUP and its alliance partners had gathered evidence of a coordinated effort to compromise the presidential count. He urged ECZ to return to basics and conduct a polling-station-by-polling-station reconciliation using the original Gen-20 forms before releasing any further figures.
He listed constituencies in Lusaka, Central and Copperbelt provinces where problems were allegedly observed, including Matero, Kalulushi, Bwanamkubwa, Chawama, Kabwata and Kanyama. The issues cited included missing or stolen Gen-20 forms, interference by security personnel, and pressure on polling staff.
“An election is not free merely because citizens were permitted to cast ballots,” Zulu said. “The process must remain free and fair through voting, counting, tallying, verification, and final declaration.”
He argued that if party agents identify a mismatch between ECZ’s announced figures and their own Gen-20 copies, the count should pause until the discrepancy is examined and reconciled. He also questioned turnout figures reported from Southern Province and called on ECZ to release polling-station-level data for independent checking.
Zulu further accused officials at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre of intimidating accredited agents, saying some were threatened with loss of accreditation after asking to verify documents.
He also raised concerns about the reported detention of opposition figures and lawyers, including UNIP president Bishop Trevor Mwamba and lawyer George Chisanga, and urged police to disclose their whereabouts and allow legal access.
Zulu appealed to local and international observers, churches, civil society and diplomats to monitor the verification stage closely. He ended by urging calm and asking supporters to document any suspected irregularities and reject violence.
ECZ has not responded
As of Saturday, ECZ was continuing with the national tally. The commission and law enforcement agencies had not issued a formal response to the specific allegations raised by Mundubile and Zulu at the time of publication.
The Gen-20 form is the official results sheet signed at each polling station and serves as the primary record for compiling final totals. The opposition’s demands now place the focus on whether ECZ can account for every original copy and demonstrate a clear audit trail from polling station to national declaration.
