The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has insisted that the budgeted K231 billion for the forthcoming presidential elections is not extravagant.
ECZ director, Dan Kalale, has said the commission had been forced to use shortcuts in tendering procedures to procure election materials in readiness for the elections because of lack of time.
Speaking at The Post News Maker’s Forum in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Kalale said the K231 billion budget was justified because the presidential election would be labour-intensive.
Reacting to Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) president, Reuben Lifuka’s concerns that the budget was too high compared to the last tripartite elections, he said there were a lot of issues to be considered.
He said the budget, approved by the ministry of Finance and National Planning, took into account high fuel prices and increased conditions of service for civil servants who would be engaged to conduct the elections.
He said ECZ would engage about 70,000 people who would conduct elections and help in conflict resolution and voter education, which were all expensive ventures.
Mr Kalale said in this year’s presidential elections, few teachers would be engaged because most of them were found to have been partisan in the 2006 elections.
He said the ECZ was ready for the elections and would endeavour to perform to people’s expectations.
Mr Kalale said the commission was only worried about the arrival of election materials because only five weeks remained before elections and that materials were expected to be in the country at least two weeks before elections.
He said announcement of results would follow the 2006 pattern where urban centres would be announced earlier than rural polling centres.
He also said the conflict resolution committee was currently sitting to determine allegations against acting president Banda in line with the Electoral Code of Conduct.
In his presentation, Mr Lifuka said people were wondering why the budget for the presidential elections seemed higher than the one for general elections two years ago.
He said it was clear that all stakeholders were not ready for the presidential elections and that a good number of people would not vote because there was no continuous voter registration.
He said even the civil society was not ready for the elections and that they had to adjust their programmes in order to accommodate the elections.
At the same discussion Forum for Democratic Process (FODEP) president, Stanley M’hango, said that his organisation was ready for elections and was in the process of submitting names of its agents to the ECZ.
Mr M’hango said FODEP expected free and fair elections because electoral disputes were not good for democratic stability of any country.
Times of Zambia
every zambian is partisan
Zambians have time and again called for continuous voter registration but to no avail. If a govt does not listen to its people regarding voter registration, how committed can it be to ensuring free and fair elections?
am not partisan,just patriotic
wally forget free and fair elections.nipa zed ka.
It is true, what is K231m which is for better of Zedian pipo as compared to amounts spent on the funeral of one dead person!
Why dont they give us the budget in detail? We want to see how that money will be spent exactly? I bet most of it for allowances for Kalale and gang. Suppliers are bookcase companies with exaggerated prices. Corrupt tender proceedings. Inflated fuel bills. etc.
That is a lot of money for a country with poverty at almost 80%. I hope it will be for the good of all… though, quite frankly, I doubt!!
Ba MMD, you should stop rigging our elections. Mwachilamo!
Democracy is not cheap.One only hopes that tendering short cuts the ECZ made do not amount to abuse of office or other forms of corruption.
Does the government think about how many clinics and schools they can build in rural areas with that money? A lot. But instead, they will misappropriate those funds in the name of elections. Then rig the same elections. We will be told they have the interests of the people at heart! Then they will bring in poor policies that only benefit themselves! Then before you know it, it will be time for elections again! Poverty and its cycles
Vintu vinangu ungadabwe
Why follow same pattern of announcing results like prevois elections. Results should be announced as they become available. This election is already rigged for RB.
kalale, you are also going after one month coz its like you are mmd.Yes thus not alot of money but remember to conduct free & fair polls coz we are watching you. GOD bless sata and zed
Danny kalale,just make sure the elections are not only free but they should seem to be free not to mention fair. We do not want a sham….of an election as this will defeat the whole purpose of the exercise.
No. 6 I agree with you. Who doesn’t know that some of the GRZ employees supply to their employer thru freinds.
I agree with you #7..
The guy should perhaps have said “it is extrvagant but unavoidable”.
osama bin zed my patriotic comrade wats up??
was out but am back..wats poping son?
Any ideas as to how much has been spent by MMD, PF and UPND as individual parties so far? Perhaps projections?
Iam yet to recieve a good report so far from my village ka. When are they bringing the goods to entice us. Only one so far, not good enough.
We want to know how much our freinds in town are benefitting.
?AN THE GOVT PLIZ STUDENTS BEFORE THE ELECTIONS? STUDENTS IN MOSCOW ARE STARVING AND IT SEEM AS IF THE PEOPLE(BC) ARE COMFORTABLE WITHIT
#1 Dread no partisan. I an’ I unite de people dem to face Jah Almighty, seen?
What happened to the K500 bn , the MMD muppets were quoting?
K231BILLOION=£34,996,280 Zambia can not afford to spend such an amount on an election that has already been rigged by ba Bwezani.Where do you think all the money for sugar he is giving away comming from?All the sugar figures have already been galvanised in that figure.Is the Ministry of Finance aware that zambian students are starving in Moscow.That amount could build a university or hospital.Ba Bwezani please go back to the land and give bafana ie HH a chance.
$66 million only
I believe that figure is just an estimate and contigency figure. I believe it is not enafu.
The figure is colossal,please RB give Sata and Hakaivotela Humwine some Zibompo’money’ to buy sugar,mealie-meal and cooking oil so that they can also distribute like you.BUN DEM BREAD and Gabriel what gwan,when are you landing zed to cast your votes?Sata for president,vote pa bwatooo!
How much has PF spent? Osati kaso, pasani ndalama imwe.
The beauty of it all is that we the villagers can vote on a full stomach na nkhukhu zi lila mu matu. Noti pa njala.
Democracy is costly ka.
Democracy can much be expensive. injoyee wabwela manje.
The truth is that Kalale and them will have a lot of change to share after 30 th October.
I only hope the Auditor generals office will audit the ECZ books ASAP and not after two years.
imwe bantu please stop reffering to HH as ” Hakaivotela Humwine” lol
I have told my boys to empty one kraal to be reserved for gifitisi.
Is it a taboo to ask what was spent on the funeral of our departed president. we need to know in order to see how costly the whole thing has impacted the budget. MHSRIEP.
#32 I think it is ok since he was public property.
Politics are not for TIMID souls, especially in this democratic era Zambia is in.
Please lets follow the constitution and not a person’s mouth. So shut your beaks okay!
This is too much money. No monkey tricks please. May the best candidate win the elections for mother zambia. For me country-men, come 30th October 2008 PABWATO.
Fellow Zambians , our own kind in the NAME of STUDENTS UNDER THE GRZ BC RUSSIA SCHEME ARE SUFFERING IN RUSSIA. What shall we do to help them before we lose a life? This matter is very very serious and deserves our attention, atleast for all the peace loving Zambians.
These people are Criminals. Everytime they tell us there is no money if we demand the government to address certain things that benefit the nation. But when it comes to such things they are in the forefront giving us such budgets. One day they will be answerable to us. lesa wabonse
What is vital is that institutions that have an oversight role must follow up the moneys and adherence to the law after elections.
Lets have presidential debates???????
Great idea! This will enable voters to see how hollow that toy snake Sata really is.If it were not for tribalism the contest should really be btwn RB and HH.But ofcourse spoilers are welcome to lose.Ask FTJ about Sata and he would tell you:over my dead arrested a*s.
#41 you are a dreamer, who is a tribalist among three? HH and RB are tribalist even during their campaigns they use terms tribal cousins and I come from this area I need your 100% votes. The spoiler is HH coz he will not come second neither first. He is just like those who go to witness the wedding. People they want someone who can redeem Zambia and make Zambians work to better themselves.
Kalale will never tell how they are going to use that money. They need to have ways of helping MMD to rig the elections as they have never sat down with Sata or HH to explain how they will conduct the elections or logistics involved.Danny Kalale knows if MMD stumble he is finished and yesterday.
If anyone of you here has Sky1 there is rose kemp on gangs in Kenya the effects of tribla votes and selfish slogans that are used to symbolise nothing but ones desire for power. it started at 9pm uk time
Indeed, it would be wonderful to have some debates, that way the shortcomings of all the candidates, RB, MS and HH can be exposed. U have one candidate with several an impressive CV but no political experience, then you have one who has no degrees and has been part of the rotten political establishment for years and finally you have one who is well educated, has been part of a corrupt government and has done nothing of significance during that time. Wow….we sure have a great group to choose from.
Mamaye! K231bn ($65m), all with “short-cut tender procedures”? Somebody’s definitely getting an early Christmas this year…! This partly explains why Africa remains in abject poverty & ignorance. A simple constitutional amendment long ago would have prevented this scenario & unnecessary presidential by-election!
Hela, do they even have the following these unipists, humanists, egocentric fellas?
Iwe ka Kalale now you are turning around and saying the conflict resolution committee is sitting to determine Mr. Banda’s allegations. In the first place why shud they sit when you said RB is entitled to use Government resources as acting President. Akamutwe kwati chipaso.
Sata’s CV
Educational background is top secret.Worked as a policeman,then
joined politics and has served in UNIP, MMD and is currently PF president.Served in various ministries where he has not lasted for
long in each ministry. Served as minister without portifolio where his role was to save Chiluba’s interests.Vehemently supported Chiluba’s third term bid.Blocked others from attending MMD convetion. Organised thugs with matchets during Chawama bye elections. He is a Roman Catholic christian in goodand regular
standing. Perhaps has stopped smoking after a life threatening heart attack. Has not held a party convetion since PF’s inception. Man of action indeed.