The Committee of Citizens has praised United States (US) Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella for rescinding his decision to support the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) and advising the US government to channel the funds meant for the exercise to voter education and participation campaigns.
Executive director Gregory Chifire said in Lusaka yesterday that it was good that Mr Storella had realised that PVT was not right for Zambia and commended him for speaking within the confines of local laws.
Mr Chifire said the electoral laws in Zambia were clear and that any institution propagating PVT was working against local legislation.
He said the US government, through the National Democratic Institute (NDI), should now channel the 3.8 million British pounds that it wanted to spend on PVT to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to strengthen the institution’s operations for this year’s election programmes.
Mr Chifire also emphasised that NDI should in the future use transparent non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to carry out election monitoring activities unlike in the past when it appointed and recruited organisations with questionable backgrounds.
He said the institute should ensure the organisations that it appointed to monitor elections were non-partisan.
Forum for Leadership Search Executive director Edwin Lifwekelo said his organisation was against PVT as it did not trust those who wanted to conduct the process.
Mr Lifwekelo said there was no other credible institution besides ECZ that could conduct elections.
“The principle in conducting PVT lies in trust. No institution can be trusted if they are partisan. It is therefore better that everyone is realising that the only qualified institution to conduct and announce elections is ECZ,” he said.
The Bishops Council of Zambia and Christian Coalition also commended Mr Storella over his position on PVT.
Speaking in separate interviews yesterday, Bishops Council of Zambia spokesperson Gibson Nyirenda said the Church body appreciated Mr Storella’s position as ECZ was the only legal institution with the mandate to conduct electoral matters.
Christian Coalition spokesperson John Mwendapole described Mr Storella’s stance as a sign of good leadership which other diplomats should emulate because PVT was a recipe for anarchy.
Meanwhile, acting Livingstone District registration officer Clement Chisanga said the training workshop for assistant registration officers will assist them effectively participate in the voter verification exercise.
He said the training was part of efforts by ECZ to try and improve the electoral process.
Mr Chisanga was speaking during training for local assistant registration officers at Livingstone Lodge in yesterday.
He said verification of the voters’ register would be undertaken in all the 61 polling stations.
District assistant registration officer Nelson Sakala said the district would have nine registration kits to deal with replacements, objections, transfers and notifications of death.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Chifire does not that MMD is planning to conduct PVT. SHAME ON YOU CHIFIRE. YOU ARE SO DULL
I meant that,”Chifire does not know that MMD IS PLANNING TO CONDUCT PVT.”. He is always speaking with his stomach instead of his brains.
For once we have an envoy that is not hell bent on imposing their own things in a sovereign nation!!
The danish just want their own laws to come to Zambia…Gays and lesbians, let them respect our own culture please. Thanks Storella, and we know that America will always support democracy and will of the people
1,2,and 3 You are daft id.io.ts. Learn to understand simple issues. The ambassadors acknowledgement of the ECZ’s role in elections doesnt mean that PVT is illegal. In every country including the UK, Denmark and USA there have electoral bodies that officially tabulate and announce results. But in all electoral process interested parties be it the media, NGOs, poltical party agents and the like are all allowed to tabulate election returns i.e allowed to carry out PVT for the sake of transparency. So you id/iotic moro….ns with single digit IQs should not rush to mo/ro/nic and ill informed conclusions. Dull suc/kers
@4, now who is the daft idi.ot really, you or 1,2,3?
AS USUAL, THE MMD VUVUZELA TWISTINT WHAT THE US ENVOY SAID…….HE NEVER SAID PVT IS BAD……HE SAID THE ECZ IS THE ONLY INSTITUTION THAT CAN ANNOUNCE RESULTS…..BUT (BIG BUT), OTHER STAKEHOLDER CAN GO AHEAD AND CARRY OUT THEIR OWN ANALYSIS OF THESE RESULTS (WHICH IS WHAT PVT IS ALL ABOUT)…….PVT IS NOT ABOUT ANNOUNCING RESULTS, NO, BUT KEEPING A RECORD OF THESE RESULTS, PERIOD….SO WHAT IS CIFIRE TALKING ABOUT……SOLI BANE, UNO MWAKA MULEYA…WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT..,.AND YOU IT DEEP DOWN YOUR HEART…..JUST JOIN THE WINNING TEAM TO AVOID BP……..BANE NAMUYA!!!!!!……….BYE BYE POLIO!!!!!!!!!
IWE CHIFIRE, YOU MEAN YOU DON’T KNOW THAT YOUR PARTY IS PLANNING TO SPEND K27 BILLION ON PVT…..IS THIS HOW DULL YOU ARE (OR PERHAPS OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY)……….NO RIGGERS THIS TIME AROUND……PVT IS IN FULL GEAR!!!!!!……CHIFIRE TAWAITAMBE BWINO UNO MWAKA…..JUST JOIN THE WINNING TEAM TO SAVE YOURSELF FROM THIS AGONY OF TRYING TO LAUNDER MMD……..BYE BYE POLIO!!!!!!!
Name: Senior Citizen | Country of residence: ZM | Written: Thursday, 15 October 2009 (10:44)
I have used many variables to reach this conclusion. Should Mugara lose, as a democrat I will salute him and his party with dignity, but then will retire from blog politics and my business. Instead, will enter active politics which has never been on my calendar beyond blogging during free times. But I vow MMD victory in Kasama is undebatable.Name: Senior Citizen | Country of residence: Zambia | Written: Friday, 16 October 2009 (15:39)
21001Someone has asked “Hello Mr Senior Citizen-are you going to retire from blogging” Quote
ANSWERI’m a man of my words
ALL THIS NONSENSE IS BECAUSE OF THE PRONOUNCEMENT MADE BY SOME IGNORANT PERSON IN HIGH PLACES WHO WANTS TO BE A REFEREE, MATCH OFFICIAL AS WELL AS A PLAYER
I was so disappointed by the undeplomatic style of the diplomat when he pledged to support any NGO advocating the use of PVT. It was imperialism of the worst kind and unrepresentative of ideals Obama holds. I think somone pumped sense in his arrogant head. We welcome the change of mind and appreciate genuine help in voter education as long as they stay away from local politics and dont take sides. We need maturity in running nations and not loose canon mentality.
What is wrong with PVT Chifire? This is the kind of stubbornness which brings civil wars and genocide. What do you think could happen if four provinces in Zambia decided that they want self rule because they were not satisfied with central government. Look at Yugoslavia, how many countries have originated from it? Learn to listen to people, the constitution could have passed if you had listened to the people in the beginning.