Editorial: ECZ Intervention in Ndola Deserves Credit

Ahead of a keenly contested election, it is the small, steadying decisions that often matter most. One such moment came in Ndola yesterday, when the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) stepped in to ensure Citizens First leader Harry Kalaba could hold his rally as planned.

The gathering at Chipulukusu was briefly held up when police queried the campaign permissions. Once the matter reached the Commission, chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis intervened, reminding officers that the campaign days lawfully allocated to Citizens First on the Copperbelt should be respected. Not long after, the rally went ahead.

It was a measured response to a tense situation, and a welcome one. The Commission did not take sides or weigh whose rally had come before; it simply applied the rules evenly, allowing a party its allocated time to campaign. That is precisely the sort of quiet, impartial administration that keeps confidence in the process intact.

Moments of confusion are almost inevitable in the closing stretch of a campaign, when emotions run high. What counts is how they are handled. On this occasion, the outcome favoured openness and the right of every party to be heard.

The episode is a useful reminder of the role an electoral body is meant to play, not as a participant, but as a fair referee that protects the rights of all contestants, government and opposition alike. In stepping in when it did, the ECZ did just that.

This was an important step, helping to keep the process peaceful, fair and on course as polling day nears.