ALN supports Zambia’s opposition petition to the Constitutional Court

Statement of the Africa Liberal Network
Stevens Mokgalapa MP, ALN Vice President Southern Africa
The continent’s largest political affiliation expresses deep concern and disappointment in the manipulation and erosion of sound democratic electoral processes in the recent Zambian elections.
In solidarity with our full member party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), the Africa Liberal Network condemns the manipulation of the voting, counting and observation mechanisms in favour of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) led by Edgar Lungu. The ruling party has sought to degrade the choices of Zambian voters through means of widespread intimidation, pre-marked ballot papers, and the prevention of party agents from overseeing the work of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
The Network is particularly alarmed at the failure of Lungu and his government to reign in PF cadres and representatives who, often with assistance from state authorities, committed acts of violence against the opposition. This included the stoning of UPND campaign buses, armed conflict in public spaces and specific targeting of innocent UPND members. The flagrant disregard for electoral transparency and the rule of law is further evidenced in the PF’s ability and willingness to blatantly alter the vote count, an example of which is in Kanyama where over 14,000 ballots went missing. The ballot papers have been recently identified in a waste area; all are marked in favour of the UPND.
The ALN is thus in support of the UPND’s petition to be brought before the Constitutional Court of Zambia. It is our sincere hope that this court will uphold the Zambian Constitution and as per that constitution, withhold the inauguration of the next president until the dispute is resolved through the crucial legal channels.
Media enquiries:
Luke Akal (ALN Coordinator)
+27 (0)81 4813754