Independent Patriots for Change congratulates Zambian President Hichilema, urges election transparency
The Independent Patriots for Change IPC has congratulated Zambia's re-elected President, Hakainde Hichilema, while advocating for complete transparency in election result management and verification. IPC president Panduleni Itula also commended opposition candidate Brian Mundubile and his supporters, emphasizing the need for organized, peaceful, and persistent opposition in southern Africa. The party welcomed the preliminary findings of the Southern African Development Community Electoral Observation Mission, which noted a calm atmosphere at most polling stations and praised electoral preparations. However, the IPC expressed concerns regarding voters' national registration numbers being written on ballot papers, potentially compromising secrecy, and observed that reconciliation was incomplete at several stations. The IPC awaits the mission's final report and calls on the Electoral Commission of Zambia to address all concerns publicly and maintain accessible and auditable results. Itula mentioned that Mundubile has information about alleged alterations to polling-station result forms and has the right to pursue legal remedies. The IPC also urged Namibia to adopt stronger electoral safeguards, including publicly displaying signed polling-station results and providing copies to party agents. They encouraged Electoral Commission of Namibia chairperson Elsie Nghikembua, who served as deputy head of the ECF-SADC observer mission, to share lessons for Namibia's upcoming elections. I
