The Human Rights Commission of Zambia (HRC-Z) on Thursday, 18th June 2026, held a consultative meeting with the Commonwealth Pre-election Assessment Mission in Lusaka to discuss Zambia’s pre-election environment and the Commission’s preparedness to monitor the 13th August 2026 General Election.
Speaking during the meeting, Commission Vice Chairperson Dr. Felicity Kayumba Kalunga underscored that elections are fundamentally a human rights process and stressed that democratic elections must be free, fair, inclusive, peaceful, transparent, and credible.
Dr. Kalunga outlined the key rights the Commission monitors during elections, including the right to participate in public affairs, freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and movement, the right of access to information, equality and non-discrimination, the right to security of the person, and the participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities in political and public life.
She further reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to protecting human rights throughout the electoral process by receiving and investigating election-related complaints, engaging with stakeholders to resolve tensions through dialogue and mediation, and strengthening district-level complaint-handling mechanisms.
Head of the Commonwealth Pre-election Assessment Mission, Mr. Linford Andrews, described the mission as a routine Commonwealth engagement aimed at gathering stakeholders’ perspectives on the electoral process, assessing the prevailing political environment, and identifying areas where electoral stakeholders may require support.
Mr. Andrews commended the Commission for its ongoing human rights and electoral stakeholder engagements and encouraged it to continue paying particular attention to safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities throughout the electoral process.
Dr. Kalunga was accompanied by Commissioner Panic Malawo Chilufya, Commissioner Laura Miti, Commissioner Bishop Emmanuel Chikoya, and Commissioner Fr. Joe Komakoma. The Director General Ms. Mbololwa Wamunyima and members of the Secretariat also participated in the engagement.
