The printing of Zambia’s presidential ballot papers has begun in South Africa’s port city, Durban ahead of the election slated for this month (October 30 , 2008).
The Printing kicked off this afternoon after verification of the ballot paper dummies and appending of signatures earlier in the day by the Zambian delegation which is here to witness the printing process expected to be completed on Friday next week.
This afternoon (Friday) the 21 man Zambian delegation led by Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson Florence Mumba had an opportunity to tour South Africa’s Universal Printing factory where printing of the presidential ballot papers is being undertaken.
During the conducted tour of the factory, Company Special Projects Consultant Vik Vaid went through the whole process of printing in an effort to establish the firm’s credibility in the printing industry to the section where the Zambian presidential ballot papers are being printed.
While in the section where the presidential ballot papers are being printed, the Zambian delegation was given a chance to scrutinise sample ballot papers that have already been done.
The firm’s Special Projects Consultant told the delegation that printing will go on throughout the weekend while the other process of sticking and packaging would be done on Monday next week.
At the end of the tour, Universal Printing Company Managing Director, Bharat Mehta, assured the Zambian delegation that there would be no external influence over the printing of the presidential ballot papers.
Mr Mehta underscored that security and integrity was paramount to his firm hence it would ensure that no external forces interfered in the printing process.
“If anything happened our credibility will be affected hence integrity and ethics are important for us. We are conscious of the fact that we are responsible for what happens in Zambia and other African countries,” he said.
His remarks came in the wake of concerns from the opposition parties among them the PF on how secure the printing was at the printing firm.
The Zambian delegation comprises political parties and Civil Society representatives include ECZ Commissioner Jalasi, MMD’s Assistant Secretary for Research Felix Mwansa, Heritage Party Trustee Lorraine Miyanda, UPND’s Chairperson for Defence and Security and Patriotic Front General Secretary Edward Mumbi.
Others are Zambia National Women’s Lobby Vice Chairperson Helen Kauta Kalikeka, Forum for Democratic Process (FODEP) President Stanely M’hango and Kwezekani Banda from the Zambia Police.
Those who arrived later in the day include Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC)’s Ronnet Chanda, Daniel Maimbo of Transparency International Zambia and Anti Corruption Commission’s Royd Katongo.
Zambia goes to the presidential election on October 30 this year following the death of Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa who passed on in France’s Percy Military Hospital in August.
ZANIS/ENDS/CLM/SJK
Great!
LETS HOPE CHI VJ MWAANGA WILL NOT INTERFERE
Imwe Bantu: Does it take 21 people to certify a simple ballot paper? waste of resources
Elections are rigged when results are coming out especially those from rural areas.Figures are manipulated in favour of the ruling party.They first release those from urban areas. This time around iam sure results from Eastern province will be among the last to be released ths is when VJ will be involved.
Stranded Millionaire, pulizi don’t give too much credit to finished politicians like VJ. Even in my govet, he couldn’t do those things!
Yes rigging happens between casting of votes and releasing/announcing of results. That is the area that will nee to be tightened. All stake holders must keep an eye all the time.
VJ already visited this company about ten days ago.
in south africa. shame 44 years we cant even print a ballot. stupid. how can you prevent rigging like this. who contracted them and who is paying them. look at poor opposition called to verify the rigging. waste of time.
I hope bamambala they will not do the usual rigging even this time. Knowing MMD, they will make sure they interfere with ballot papers. Even ghosts will vote, just wait and see. Besides those 21 people are just there for a holiday on tax payers money.
LT is VJ onsite? Just thinking aloud…
Ka VJ are you in zambia? we have not spoken for a long time, please call me @ 10hrs on sunday on my celz
Whether you like it or not we are all abroad.but accordingly to the information from zambia these are the expected results..
..………………..RB…… SATA….. HH
Northern …..35%….. 60%…… 5%
Luapula ……40%….. 50%…… 10%
Eastern ……60%….. 15%……. 15%
Central ……39%….. 10%…… 51%
Lusaka …….38%….. 39%…… 23%
Copperbelt …32%….. 40%…… 28%
North-western .20%….. 8%…… 72%
southern …….8% …..3% ……85%
western …….11% …..2% ……80%
zambia ……..28%…. 24%…… 39%
iwe ZANIS/ENDS/CLM/SJK why didnt you put the name of UPND’s Chairperson for Defence? dont be discriminative.you people think that only fools read your paper. know that we are analytical. so be careful
They are there as witnesses pali mailo ati MMD has rigged the elections,they tempered with the ballot papers in South Africa.VIVA RB
# 13 calm down it could just be a minor ‘misdeed’ my brother. I hope the editor has noted your concerns though
i agree with 2 thats lets hope that the dirty hands of vj and others tay away of this printings
This is absurd!, very expensive move, its too costly + needs extreme security measures in place to safeguard these ballot papers.
Abena ZEDI namulala, ine nabucha kuno, ndelya ubwali na chiwawa!
so we do not have a manufacturing compnay that can print ballot papers in zed? are that finished?
the rigging has been done alread, its not going to S.A and verify the papers, its in those un idetified villages with less than 1500 people were ringging is done. The other place is at Zamtel lamya hse where the soft wares of the figures are changed.
Lt I think you should up date the system, even when you haven’t sent anything………. you posting to fast.
VJ AND RB WILL VOTE ON BEHALF OF THE DEAD,INCLUDING PIPO THAT HAVE RE-LOCATED TO OTHER PARTS OTHER THAN WHERE THEY VOTED FROM IN 2006.RIGGING ALREADY DONE.
village census would have been better not ballot verification.we don’t want a stituation where a village has a population of 2000 people when results come out it will be 20 000 000 people,this time ECZ start with rural votes .tulemiyangana !!
I hope the results will be announced within 24hrs after voting otherwise any results after that is utter rubish.
hey guys were is GEORGE MPOMBO
Guide me, I thought some weeks ago I read something like this, “Mazabuka receives Presidential ballot papers” or was I dreaming since I’m now told that this is when printing has started.
Thanx and well done.HH HH HH you are for plot 1 dude, i promise you.
# 26 Mazuba Received election materials which were ballot boxes and not papers.
Still talking about HH even when the truth is right in front of you. SATA 4 Presido can’t you see the crowds in The Post
the best is to follow the zimbabwean model where results are pinned outside the polling station before they are sent anywhere else. ka mugabe yalisakashupa rigging as a result.
Ubunangwa! You are even proud to say printing of ballot papers kicked off! Muleumfwako insoni. These papers should be printed at home. Kuti nafyoca! walishiba ukombomba ine. I can vote for all Zambians if I want to, natukula, mwilatwala ulupiya kufaylo fimbi.
Is this mere coincidence ? First court throws out M’membes application, followed by Anti-rigging looses against RB while MMD see’s nothing in reconciling with FTJ, and from no where Fire guts Radio Phoenix and now Ballot papers are being printed at UNIVERSAL Printing Company(RSA) the owners of the most contraversial UNIVERSAL church and a company which VJ visited 10 days ago ! Imwe bantu piliziiiiiii………
MMD will rig that VJ came to do!
VJ leaves for South Africa tomorrow, he’s Lusaka now!
VJ leaves for South Africa tomorrow, he’s in Lusaka now!
VJ spotted with the company that prints ballot papers.Reported saying that he is helpnig finalise the contract on behalf of GRZ
We cannot even print a ballot paper because Chiluba corruptly sold all machines at govt Printers to Richard Sakala who had plans fo setting up his own firm. Shame on Chiluba.
Anyway, this delegation Saga makes me ill. All they needed there were policemen accompanying ECZ members to verify the process. None of those people in that delegation has a clue as to how counterfeit ballot papers look. Only the UPND had an idea about security and sent in their security guy. Does that tell us something about how they think? While the rest went a shopping spree for their cadres. And for Miyanda it was na opportunity for the sister to visit Durban – Shame!!
vote for hh somebody who is a little smarter than rb and sata why are we intimidated by intelligence?.
26, it was ballot boxes…not papers.
Viva HH!! Those satana rallies are in his strongholds only. The biased post doesn’t show current pictures of HH rallies because they are supporting sata. Anyway the truth hurts, they an’t lickin’ it.
Viva HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
It seems you cannot please the opposition. I remember in 2001 the opposition are the ones who demanded that ballot papers be printed outside the country. What exactly do you want? Get your act together before you start unnecessarry criticism.
Good news from South Africa. I hope there are no ghost delegates in the Zambian entourage.”The Zambian delegation …Heritage Party Trustee Lorraine Miyanda, UPND’s Chairperson for Defence and Security and Patriotic Front General Secretary Edward Mumbi.”
LT, why is the name of the UPND man missing? Who is HP Trustee Lorraine Miyanda – a daughter to Brig. General Miyanda or what?
Good news from South Africa. I hope there are no ghost delegates in the Zambian entourage.”The Zambian delegation …Heritage Party Trustee Lorraine Miyanda, UPND’s Chairperson for Defence and Security and Patriotic Front General Secretary Edward Mumbi.”
LT, why is the name of the UPND man missing? Who is HP Trustee Lorraine Miyanda – a daughter to Brig. General Miyanda or what?
Was VJ the 21st member of the delegation?
“From what I know Sata went to school up to standard four.Imagine in this era where people use computers, is it really good as a country to vote for a grade four as Republican president?” asked Mulongoti. Source: w ww .post zambia . com / post – read_article .p hp ? articl eId = 46800
Mr Mulongoti as GRZ has given us the correct education background of Hon. Sata who only went upto standard 4, which according to mulongoti is Grade 4 – though I think it is Grade 6.
My advice to the undereducated Hon. Sata is that he (Sata) must register for Grade 7 exams for next year 2009.
We need English police to sort out those thieves who rig this time around.If elections are rigged this time, I will walk naked from cape to cairo.That will be the end of foreign aid.
Sebetwane, you are a clever man.Your statistics are correct.
My advice to the undereducated Hon. Sata is that he (Sata) must register for Grade 9 exams for next year 2010.
My advice to the undereducated Hon. Sata is that he (Sata) must register for Grade 12 exams for next year 2011 and make sure that he does not try to join the race for Plot 1 then to concentrate on his studies.
My advice to the undereducated Hon. Sata is that he (Sata) must register for a computer studies course in the year 2012 which will help him to join the race for Plot 1 in 2016.
My advice to the undereducated Hon. Sata is that he (Sata) must do what I have suggested faithfully and also hold a convention for his PF so that we can notice some democratic behaviour in him (Sata) by 2016 which he is currently serious lacking.
When Hon. Sata will have done all these things I have advised him to do, then I my take him serious if he will have an education policy on his manifesto for PF. I may have support him on seeing his now-necessary-radical-would-be change in his life history.
It is not too late for Hon. Sata, aa lot of very old people have now taking to school so that they will leave this earth with a sound education background should they die before our Lord Jesus Christ comes back.
What is so honourble about Sata?
Honourable Sata was once an MP in Zambia. He (Sata) is a very senior citizen and deserves our uttermost respect as Zambians.
He (Sata) might have bluffed a lot as a politician in his life time, but that does not mean that we must forget that he is 72 years old. He (Sata) deserves our respect. In fact (Infa ya-kiti), the most honourable way by all Zambians to let Hon. Sata go well to relax and have good health is to make sure we dont vote for him in any election to come. Since, Hon. Sata has trouble realising that he needs rest, we as well-meaning Zambians must help him to enjoy the rest that he needs – which was advised to him by his medical doctors (obviously except his Doctor Wife).
The next president needs to put the printing issue on ballot papers first on his agenda. We surely can print these locally.
Why can’t one of you guys on this blog take advantage of the opportunity and start a printing company in zambia. 2011 is near and there is money to be made. I am more broke and stressed than I was in zambia, so i can’t volunteer to start one.
#56, I am intending to open one such company soon. It is supposed to be multi-dimensional with one component of it printing newspapers like the POST although mine will operate on not being partisan the way the POST is inclined to PF and it’s Hon.Sata.
The UPND’s HH Campaign Theme Song
Chorus
[Beat and Rhythm: Nddi Nddi …. (Mixed with) ntli ntli ntli ntli ntli ntli ntli ntli ….]
Chinochaka pakuvota tusale kateke wamano
Hakainde Hichilema, ewo tusale bane
Chinochaka pakuvota tusale kateke wamano
Hakainde Hichilema, ewo tusale bane
Source: w w w . hakainde . c o m
Will the Rig master please take his trade else where and the sugar Granny daddy take a rest.Allow us the Freedom to exercise our right to vote to power whom we think is the best man to rule our belived country Zambia.