Zambia courts sealed off as election petition deadline looms

The Constitutional Court and other key judicial buildings in Lusaka have been sealed off by security personnel as Zambia’s election petition deadline approached, according to BBC News. The heightened security comes even as preparations for President Hakainde Hichilema’s second inauguration appear to be continuing.

Election petitions are a constitutional mechanism in Zambia, allowing losing candidates or their parties to challenge officially declared results within a set period after a winner is announced. The Constitutional Court has historically been the venue for such disputes, and access restrictions ahead of major rulings are a familiar precaution in the country.

Hichilema first came to power in 2021, when he defeated Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front, ending a decade of PF rule and winning broad praise from investors and international lenders for pledges to restore macroeconomic stability. The businessman-turned-politician, who leads the United Party for National Development (UPND), campaigned on a platform of debt restructuring and anti-corruption reform.

Zambia, a landlocked southern African nation of roughly 20 million people, has held multiparty elections since 1991. Its courts have at times been at the centre of political controversy, particularly during the 2016 and 2021 electoral cycles, when petitions tested the boundaries of constitutional practice. The current restrictions on access to judicial buildings, with an increased police presence, have renewed scrutiny of how the petition process is being administered.

While the legal challenge plays out, state logistics for the swearing-in ceremony are reported to be moving forward, suggesting the government expects the inauguration to proceed on schedule regardless of the court’s pending decision.

Sources

This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.

• BBC News — Zambia courts sealed off as election petition deadline looms
• BBC — Zambia courts sealed off as election petition deadline looms