Mundubile Demands ECZ Explain GEN 20 Forms Handling Amid Election Integrity Concerns
Brian Muntayalwa Mundubile has called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to immediately clarify how GEN 20 forms used in the presidential electoral process have been handled and safeguarded.
Mundubile says the integrity of the presidential election could be undermined if allegations that GEN 20 forms were collected from districts and potentially interfered with are not urgently addressed.
In a statement, Mundubile demanded that the ECZ explain who authorised the movement of the GEN 20 forms, where the documents were taken, and under which provision of the law the forms were collected.
He stressed that the original GEN 20 forms must be preserved because they are critical documents for the verification of presidential election results and any potential legal challenges arising from discrepancies.
“The original GEN 20 forms must be preserved because they are critical to transparency, verification and any lawful challenge to discrepancies in the presidential results,” Mundubile said.
He also called for an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the suspension of the announcement of election results, including which officials had access to electoral materials during the period.
Mundubile Raises Allegations of Military and Intelligence Involvement
Mundubile further called for clarification over allegations that intelligence or military personnel were involved in collecting GEN 20 forms from town clerks.
He wants the ECZ to state clearly whether any military or intelligence officers collected, handled or had access to the election documents.
He also raised allegations that some electoral officials in Southern Province were pressured to modify figures recorded on GEN 20 forms.
Similar allegations, he said, had emerged concerning officials in North-Western Province, who were allegedly directed to alter figures appearing on the forms.
Mundubile emphasised that these claims remain allegations requiring urgent and independent investigation.
Call for Preservation of Original Election Documents
The opposition presidential candidate said all original GEN 20 forms and other election materials capable of establishing a clear audit trail must be secured.
He warned that election documents should not be tampered with, altered, removed or destroyed, saying the credibility of the presidential electoral process depends on the availability of verifiable records.
“The people of Zambia deserve nothing less than a transparent, verifiable and credible presidential electoral process,” he said.
Mundubile called on the ECZ, law-enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to take immediate measures to safeguard the integrity of the electoral record.
The allegations raised in the statement have not been independently established, and the ECZ would need to provide clarification on the alleged movement, custody and access to GEN 20 forms.
