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The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson, Mwangala Zaloumis, has stated that all political parties participating in elections were guilty of vote buying and electoral violence.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lusaka on Tuesday, Zaloumis emphasized that vote buying was widespread across the political spectrum. She noted that parties that did not engage in it simply lack the financial resources to do so.
“There is no saint among political parties. If they have not bought votes, it is only because they do not have money,” she said.
Zaloumis further lamented that the practice has become an expectation among voters, making it difficult to eliminate.
“We see it, and we hear about it. Voters now expect political parties to buy them. I even feel sorry for these parties, but that is the truth,” she added.
She expressed hope that political parties, through the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID), could reach an agreement to put an end to the practice.
Zaloumis also highlighted the role of violence in Zambia’s elections, stating that political parties frequently engage in clashes when they campaign in areas not designated for them.
“All political parties are guilty of electoral violence. ECZ assigns areas for campaigns, but if a party enters a non-designated area, they are attacked. This has been happening repeatedly,” she said.
She warned that vote buying had reached alarming levels, with some voters abstaining from elections unless they were paid.
“The amounts spent by parties now determine how people vote. Whoever pays the most wins the election,” Zaloumis observed.
She urged political parties to work toward restoring integrity in Zambia’s electoral process.
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