ECZ to Print Ballots in Dubai June 30

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) will begin printing ballot papers for the August 13, 2026, upcoming election. Printing will begin in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on June 30, 2026.

ECZ Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis told presidential candidates and party representatives that they must all have a representative to witness the printing process. She said parties and candidates are expected to cover any costs for their representatives.

Zaloumis also rejected claims that the ECZ had halted presidential campaigns. She stated that the commission had separated presidential campaigns from parliamentary and local government campaigns to enable presidential candidates to establish their own campaign timetables.

“I do not know whether that is asking too much or whether, according to you, that privilege is inappropriate. It is up to you to judge whether we should have provided it or not,” she said.

Zaloumis said the advisory on campaign scheduling was issued due to concerns about overlapping campaign activities in districts and provinces which would affect orderly campaigns and create unwanted tension. She reports that the ECZ and police need campaign schedules to provide added security and to enable district officers to track candidate movements.

Zaloumis added that the ECZ “have a responsibility under the Constitution to manage these elections, and that is exactly what we are doing.”