SEDROBZ improves access to justice by tracking electoral disputes, supporting institutions and empowering citizens with data-driven insights.
SEDROBZ (Support to the Electoral Dispute Resolution Oversight and Capacity Building Zambia) is a multi year initiative that seeks to strengthen Zambia's electoral justice system so that disputes are resolved fairly, efficiently and in a manner that upholds the will of the voters. It builds on the pioneer SEDROBZ 2021 project and responds to lessons from the 2021 elections, which saw a sharp increase in petitions, many of which failed on procedural grounds or were never heard on their merits, despite credible concerns about electoral malfeasance.
At the heart of SEDROBZ is a commitment to peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible elections. The programme works across the full electoral dispute resolution (EDR) ecosystem, supporting political parties to file timely, evidence based petitions, equipping judges and magistrates with specialised tools for adjudicating electoral cases, providing a one stop advisory centre for actors seeking to navigate EDR mechanisms, and developing an AI augmented early warning system to detect and respond to election related risks before they escalate into violence.
SEDROBZ is implemented by SAIPAR in close collaboration with key national institutions and civil society partners, including Chapter One Foundation, Zambia Center for Inter Party Dialogue (ZCID), Christian Churches Monitoring Ground (CCMG), International Foundation for Electoral Systems Zambia (IFES) and other CSOs. Through this partnership model, the programme generates practical tools, such as an EDR case database, reference manuals, training curricula, and policy briefs, that inform legislative reform, strengthen institutional capacities, and contribute to a more credible and trusted electoral process in Zambia and the wider SADC region.
The overall goal of SEDROBZ is to contribute to peaceful, inclusive, transparent and credible elections in Zambia by strengthening the country's electoral dispute resolution system so that disputes are handled fairly, promptly and in line with democratic principles.