The Electoral Commission of Zambia has resolved to hold a fresh parliamentary election in Lusaka’s Mandevu constituency after a serious security breach disrupted the management of results following the August 13 general election, a decision that has drawn support from stakeholders across the civic and electoral oversight community.
ECZ announced the decision after concluding it had no reliable basis on which to declare a winner in the constituency, following an attack on the results totalling centre on August 18. Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro said unknown individuals stormed the centre, attacking those present, destroying result-transmission kits and fleeing with election documentation.
“In view of this, the commission has resolved to hold a by-election for Mandevu Constituency on a date to be communicated in due course,” Kasaro said in a statement.
He said the incident had left the returning officer unable to complete the results-management process and formally declare the National Assembly election outcome for the constituency, forcing the commission’s hand.
The date for the fresh poll has not yet been announced, but ECZ has indicated it will communicate details in due course.
The decision has received broad backing from civil society organisations, with stakeholders urging Mandevu residents to turn out in large numbers when the new vote is eventually held. Foundation for Democratic Process executive director Elijah Rubvuta described the commission’s decision as reasonable and consistent with international electoral practice, particularly in circumstances where election materials have been compromised to the extent that a credible winner cannot be established.
“The loss of electoral materials made it difficult for the commission to establish a credible result,” Rubvuta said, urging voters not to become fatigued by the prospect of returning to the polls.
He encouraged Mandevu residents to participate in the fresh election and complete the process of selecting their representative, regardless of the eventual outcome of the broader general election.
Anti-Voter Apathy Project executive director Richwell Mulwani offered similar backing, describing the fresh election as the appropriate way to resolve the uncertainty created by the attack on the totalling centre.
“The decision is good for democracy because it would allow residents to elect their representative in a peaceful and transparent manner,” Mulwani said, urging political parties contesting the fresh poll to promote peace and avoid conduct that could result in violence.
The Mandevu incident is one of several controversies that have clouded the aftermath of the August 13 general election. Transparency International Zambia has separately flagged 32 constituencies nationwide as recording notable discrepancies or procedural irregularities during the vote-counting and results-transmission process, and has called on ECZ to publish full polling-station-level results to allow for independent verification.
The commission has not indicated whether any suspects have been identified or apprehended in connection with the Mandevu attack, and police have not issued a separate statement on the investigation’s progress.
Political parties with representation in Mandevu have not yet formally responded to the announcement of the fresh election, though observers expect campaigning to resume quickly once a date is confirmed, given the constituency’s significance within Lusaka’s broader political landscape.
For now, Mandevu residents remain without a sitting Member of Parliament, and the commission has asked for patience as it finalises logistics for the re-run.
