A 93-member election has been deployed to Zambia by the African Union (AU) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) for the country’s general election, which will be held on August 13, 2026. The electoral process will be monitored by this mission, and it will also grant support for the efforts taken to ensure that votes are credible and peaceful.
There are few observation teams sent out for this election. While one is led by Hailemariam Dessalegn Boshe, who is the former Ethiopian prime minister, Ambassador Marie-Pierre Lloyd of Seychelles served as his deputy. The Commonwealth Secretariat has also deployed an Observer Group to Zambia to monitor the general election and assess the fairness and credibility of the entire process. These 93 observers come from 29 different African countries. The group includes various types of individuals, such as ambassadors, election-management officials, civil society representatives, youth representatives, and specialists in areas such as gender, human rights, and the media.
Observers have been deployed all throughout the 10 provinces of Zambia to assess the political environment, polling-day procedures and the immediate period following the election. Their work will include meetings with key stakeholders such as the Electoral Commission of Zambia, political parties, government institutions, religious leaders, civil society organizations and media representatives.
The mission comes as Zambia holds an important national election that will test the country’s democratic institutions and political stability. The presence of regional and continental observers is intended to increase confidence in the electoral process and provide an independent assessment of the vote.
As Zambia holds an important national election which will come as a major test for the country’s democratic institutions as well as political stability, the presence of regional and continental observers is aimed to heighten confidence in the electoral process and provide an independent assessment of the vote.
The AU-COMESA mission is expected to issue a preliminary statement on its findings at a press conference in Lusaka on August 15. A comprehensive final report will follow right after the official announcement of the election results.
