EU observers say police bias and a biased ZNBC tilted Zambia's election, and want 13 changes before the next vote

The European Union Election Observation Mission has published its final report on Zambia's 13 August general elections, saying police bias, cadreism and undue advantages for the incumbent limited opposition campaigning and tilted the playing field. The report makes 13 recommendations, eight of them priorities. Chief observer Michael McNamara, a Member of the European Parliament, said: "The elections offered Zambians a competitive choice, and polling staff administered voting efficiently. At the same time, late legal changes and unequal campaign conditions created uncertainty and distorted the playing field. The suspension of counting and the subsequent closure of courts curtailed transparency and access to justice, two pillars of any democratic election." ## What the observers found The report credits the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) with being well prepared, calls candidate registration inclusive and transparent, and says the amended legal framework is a broadly adequate basis for democratic elections. Its criticism is detailed. ZNBC gave the UPND 96.2 percent of airtime on television and 90.5 percent on radio, and the mission says the cyber laws have caused growing self-censorship. Zambia has no political finance law, which limited the accountability of parties. Women were only nine percent of candidates across all levels. The ECZ suspended counting and the announcement of results nationwide on 14 August from 12:00 to 18:00, citing violence against polling staff and alleged ballot box theft. The mission calls that a disproportionate response, and says that after the suspension transparency fell at totalling centres. It adds that a heavy military presence reduced the number of party agents and citizen observers there. The report also records that on the morning of 24 August, police and soldiers cordoned off the Lusaka superior courts complex during the seven days allowed for filing a presidential petition. That window closed on 25 August, and the cour