赞比亚将于2026年8月举行总统和议会选举[1]。现任总统哈基·希奇莱玛领导的联合争取民族发展党寻求连任，面临14名对手的竞争[1]。预计将有约870万选民参与投票[1]，其中多数为女性。赞比亚总统需获得超过总票数50%的支持方可当选，否则将进入第二轮投票[1]。
经济复苏成为此次选举的核心关切[1]。官方数据显示，超过70%的人口日均生活费在3美元以下[1]。通胀形势有所改善，2026年6月通胀率已降至6.5%[1]。选举还聚焦治理改革与议会地图重新划分等议题[1]。新增70个选区使议会席位从156增至226个[1]。
司法独立性和性别代表问题也引发争议[1]。2024年，希奇莱玛总统暂停了三名作出对其对手裁决的宪法法院法官，2026年初又任命了16名新法官[1]。在性别代表方面，女性仅占议会席位约15%，在政治领导职位的比例更低至20%以下[1]。本次选举中有1名女性总统候选人和4名女性副总统候选人参选[1]。投票定于上午6时至下午6时进行[1]。
Zambia will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on August 12, 2026, with incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema and his ruling United National Development Party (UNNDP) seeking reelection against 14 competing candidates [1]. The election will determine the country's leadership amid pressing economic challenges and governance concerns that have dominated public discourse.
Economic hardship remains the central issue facing voters, with official data showing that more than 70 percent of the population lives on less than three dollars per day [1]. However, inflation has been declining, reaching 6.5 percent by June 2026 [1]. To secure the presidency, a candidate must obtain more than 50 percent of the total vote; if no candidate achieves this threshold, the election will proceed to a second round [1]. Approximately 8.7 million voters are expected to participate, the majority of whom are women [1].
Significant electoral reforms will reshape parliamentary representation in the upcoming contest [1]. The number of parliamentary seats will increase from 156 to 226, with 70 new constituencies added to the electoral map [1]. Voting will take place from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. [1].
Concerns about judicial independence have emerged as a secondary issue in the campaign. President Hichilema suspended three constitutional court judges in 2024 who had ruled against one of his opponents, and the government appointed 16 new judges in early 2026 [1]. Gender representation in politics remains inadequate, with women holding approximately 15 percent of parliamentary seats and less than 20 percent of political leadership positions [1]. Among the candidates, there is one female presidential candidate and four female vice-presidential candidates [1].