THE Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) said Friday it was unable to file presidential and vice-presidential nomination papers after its records at the Registrar of Societies were altered.

PeP vice-presidential candidate Sean Tembo said the changes, made on May 8 and May 21, 2026, reclassified the party as a church organization with its principal activities listed as “Ministry and Preaching.”

He said the changes also reassigned the secretary general position to two new office bearers without party authorization.

Tembo said the issue emerged during the nomination filing process at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

He appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to direct the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security to restore the party’s records. Tembo also asked Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis to extend the nomination filing period for PeP candidates if the records are restored.

“We further request that, once our party records have been restored, the Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson, Ms Mwangala Zaloumis, extends the nomination filing period for the Patriots for Economic Progress to allow our members to file their nominations across the country. Such actions on the part of President Hakainde Hichilema and Ms Mwangala Zaloumis would be in the interest of democracy, natural justice and fair play,” he said.

(Mwebantu, Friday, 22nd May, 2026)