PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has lamented that the August 12 general elections were not free and fair.

According to a statement issued by his spokesperson Isaac Chipampe, President Lungu said the ruling party was consulting on the next course of action concerning the general election.

“President of the Republic of Zambia has said his party, the Patriotic Front, is consulting on the next course of action concerning the general election held on Thursday, 12th August, 2021. President Lungu says the general election in three provinces, namely; Southern Province, North Western Province, and Western Province, were characterised by violence, rendering the whole exercise a nullity. The President said Patriotic Front polling agents were brutalised and chased from poling stations, a situation that left the ruling party’s votes unprotected in the three provinces. The President also cites the killing of Patriotic Front North Western Province Chairman Jackson Kungo, during voting, and Mr Samuel Chihili, shortly before the voting, as criminal acts that rendered the general election not free and fair,” Chipampe stated.

President Lungu said some of the PF agents were currently in hiding.

“Right now, some of our agents and supporters are in hiding because of these criminal acts. How can the elections be fair when people have been murdered and many others are in hiding after being brutalised. Is that democracy? We have written to the Electoral Commission of Zambia but they have continued announcing the results. So, we are consulting on the next decision we have to make,” said President Lungu.

“With polling agents having been attacked and chased from polling stations, we were reduced to competing in seven provinces while our opponent was contesting in 10 provinces. “