LDP CANDIDATE XAVIER CHUNGU WITHDRAWS FROM PRESIDENTIAL RACE, ENDORSES MUNDUBILE

LDP CANDIDATE XAVIER CHUNGU WITHDRAWS FROM PRESIDENTIAL RACE, ENDORSES MUNDUBILE

Liberal Democratic Party presidential candidate Xavier Franklin Chungu has pulled out of the 13 August General Election and pledged support to National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity candidate Brian Mundubile.

In a statement issued from prison, Chungu said his decision was driven by prolonged detention, repeated denial of bail, and the inability to campaign. He stated he was arrested by police on 28 May 2026 and held at Kabwata Police Station for a week without court appearance. After the High Court granted him bail on 4 June, he alleged he was rearrested the next day on new charges.

Chungu further claimed that efforts to secure release failed after the DPP issued a certificate blocking bail, and that court dates were continually postponed. He described the situation as an unfair playing field and suggested his incarceration was politically motivated, though this has not been independently verified.

Chungu said he was putting national interest first. He announced that both he and the LDP were backing the Mundubile-Makebi Zulu ticket, and called on his supporters and all Zambians who believe in democracy to rally behind them in next month’s polls.