Mundubile, Makebi only hope - Xavier

…as he writes the Electoral Commission of Zambia withdrawing his presidential bid for the August 13 polls, endorses Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu, says the two are better suited to take over the governance of the country By NATION REPORTER BRIAN Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu are better suited to run the affairs of the country, restore the rule of law, protect its democracy and enhance the freedoms of citizens, Xavier Chungu has said. Mr Chungu, the president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) says he has withdrawn his presidential candidature from the August 13 general election and would instead support National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) presidential candidate Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu. Mr Chungu says Mr Mundubile and Mr Zulu were best placed to restore the rule of law and protect the country’s democratic freedoms. In a letter addressed to Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis from Lusaka Central Prison commonly known as Chimbokaila , Mr Chungu said he had made the difficult decision to withdraw from the presidential race after reflecting on the circumstances under which he had been forced to campaign. Mr Chungu, the former Director General of the Zambia Intelligence and Security Service (ZISS), said he had been unable to participate effectively in the election because he had remained in custody since his arrest on May 28, despite having been granted bail by the High Court. “I am writing to formally notify the Commission that I, together with my running mate, have made the difficult decision to officially withdraw our candidature from the presidential election slated for the 13th of August 2026,” Mr Chungu said. He said his continued detention had denied him the opportunity to freely engage with voters across the country. “As you are aware, I have been held in State custody since my arrest on 28th May 2026. Even though my legal team secured bail from the High Court on 4th June and we met every single condition, I was immediately rearrested the very next day on bailable charges. Since then, continuous delay tactics and blocks by the Director of Public Prosecutions have kept me locked away at Lusaka Central Prison, effectively preventing me from stepping onto the campaign trail,” he said. Mr Chungu said democratic elections could only be meaningful if all candidates were afforded an equal opportunity to campaign. “A fair election requires a level playing field. Because I have been forced to run a presidential campaign from a prison cell for over two months rather than being among the Zambian people, I cannot, in good conscience, pretend that my running mate and I have been given a genuine, democratic opportunity to contest this election,” he said. He announced that the LDP had unanimously decided to support Mr Mundubile and his running mate Makebi. “To ensure that the alternative vision for our country continues forward, I, alongside my running mate, officially step down from the presidential race slated for the 13th of August 2026.” “Furthermore, the Liberal Democratic Party and I hereby wholeheartedly back and endorse Mr Brian Mundubile, the Presidential Candidate for the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity and his Running Mate, Mr Makebi Zulu. We believe they are best placed to restore the rule of law and protect our democratic freedoms,” Mr Chungu stated. He has since requested the Electoral Commission of Zambia to reallocate the campaign dates, venues and other campaign opportunities that had been assigned to his candidature to Mr Mundubile. Mr Chungu also appealed to the Commission to update its official records and ballot materials to reflect his withdrawal from the presidential contest. Ends.

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