Instead, authorities have resorted to the familiar playbook of using the law to criminalize peaceful dissent and silence independent media.” In July, Amnesty International called for the release of ZNBC journalist MacPherson Mukuka, who was arrested after posting a recording reportedly depicting public servants on a Presidential Campaign Team committee secretly discussing election tactics. On public assembly, Parliament passed a Public Gatherings Bill on May 12 to replace the colonial-era Public Order Act, but President Hakainde Hichilema declined assent, citing inconsistencies with judicial precedent. The effective cancellation of RightsCon in Zambia in May 2026 was cited as further evidence of shrinking civic space. Thursday’s vote will be the country’s first general election since Hichilema came to power in 2021 on promises of democratic reform that Amnesty says have been undermined by increasing restrictions on civic space.