Global Watch: Zambia Elections

Zambia underwent its third transition of power in 2021, following democratic transitions from ruling to opposition parties in 1991 and 2011. The administration under President Hakainde Hichilema’s United Party for National Development inherited a country that had undergone a debt default in 2020, was characterised by rampant inflation, and appeared to be experiencing a broad breakdown of the rule of law and assault on democratic institutions. As the country heads towards the 2026 elections, the Zambia Elections Research Network probed public perceptions of the last four years, including the administration’s policy choices and service delivery and public expectations ahead of the 2026 polls. GUEST: Dr. Nicole Beardsworth, Political Analyst from Wits University