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Raising the Citizen's Voice on the Public Order Act (POA), and the 2026 General Elections

As Zambia approaches the 2026 General Elections, it is vital for citizens, and policy makers to engage in open dialogue on how the policies, and legal frameworks affect political accountability and democratic governance.

A middle-aged African woman with short, curly hair stands at a podium holding a microphone, speaking to an audience. She wears a black sleeveless dress and appears focused. A water bottle is on the podium, and a colorful backdrop featuring text related to public participation is visible behind her.
FES Zambia
An elderly African man in a dark suit and patterned tie speaks into a microphone at an event. He stands in front of a banner featuring the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung logo, with a blue and red background. The setting appears formal.
FES Zambia

The Public Order Act (POA) has been a topic of public debate in Zambia, particularly regarding its consequences on freedoms of assembly, expression, and political participation especially during election period. As the country approaches the 2026 General Elections, it is vital for citizens, and policy makers to engage in open dialogue on how the policies, and legal frameworks affect political accountability and democratic governance.

The POA remains one of Zambia’s most debated laws, although the government promised to review the POA, the process has stalled without clear communication to the public about the progress or next steps.

It is against this background that the Citizen’s Voice Public Discussion a joint initiative of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Zambia Office and the Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), held a public discussion that aimed at promoting political accountability and democratic governance around the POA and progress made towards reviewing it. At the end of the activity, recommendations for reforms and best practices on public gathering, expression and political during elections were generated, so as to contribute towards building a more inclusive, transparent, and peaceful electoral process ahead of the 2026 General Elections.