The Zambia Police have warned that it will arrest all party officials found destroying the Electoral Commission of Zambia equipment earmarked to be used for the transmission of election results in Vubwi and Kasenengwa by elections.
MMD President Nevers Mumba had instructed his members to be on the look out and destroy the ECZ equipment after a deadlock on the use of the electronic system.
Dr Mumba had contended that the ECZ is sneaking in the system without reaching consensus with the political parties.
“If you see the ECZ equipment being used, you are free to destroy the equipment because such maneuvers by the ECZ are a danger to the credibility of our elections,” Dr Mumba said.
But Zambia Police Spokesperson Charity Chanda warned that the police will arrest anyone found destroying the equipment.
“I would like to warn to whoever is intending to get involved in destroying this equipment that this is Government property and it is an offence to destroy Government property as Police we are on the ground and we are ready to arrest anyone involved in destruction,” Mrs Chanda said.
She said, “Police will not sit and watch anyone destroy Government property. We have local crack squads that are positioned in all areas where elections are being held and these have been reinforced by officers from our mobile units and paramilitary, in short we are ready for them.”
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission of Zambia has maintained that the electronic system of transmitting election results in Kasenengwa and Vubwi constituencies is a pilot exercise and will not in any way affect the current manual system of collating and declaring election results.
ECZ Public Relations Officer Raphael Phiri said the Commission will not use the results obtained through the electronic system for the declaration of the final election results.
“The Commission will not use the results obtained through the electronic system for the declaration of the final election results rather, the hard copies of the results as announced by Presiding officers at each polling station are those that will be used at the totaling centres by the Returning Officers to collate and declare the final election results,” Mr Phiri said.
He added, “Using an android (smart) cell phone, after the official announcement of the polling station election results, each Presiding officer will capture the image of the signed election results form at each polling station, and transmit the image using the smart phone simultaneously to the constituency totaling center, and the Commission Headquarters in Lusaka.”
Mr Phiri said the pilot exercise is simply intended to determine how quickly the election results can be obtained from polling stations, considering the complaints by stakeholders over delayed election results announcement in the past.
“It should also be noted that this system was used in Katuba during the by-elections in that constituency in February 2014, and by 21:30 hours on poll day, results from 30 out of the 32 polling stations had been received. The Commission would therefore like to allay any fears raised by stakeholders regarding this system of transmitting election results, as it is merely a test to ascertain the efficiency and reliability of the system and has not replaced the current system of collating and declaring election results.”
So, why the panic ba MMD? If you did your homework properly you have no reason to fear and risk prosecution. You say that is your stronghold, after all.
There is no fool than the old fool. ECZ that’s political coercion and by all means necessary, this should be stopped now.
What is Ms Isaacs doing now?
STRONG HOLD!!!!!! THAT’S THEIR WEAK HOLD.
BA NERVOUS MUMBA DON’T BE NERVOUS. YOU ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SLOWNESS OF ELECTORAL RESULTS- HERE COMES THE COMPUTER AGAIN YOU DON’T WANT FAST RESULTS. WHAT DO YOU WANT THEN?
This is a clear violation of the Software Development life cycle, you don’t perform user acceptance or System testing when a product is already deployed or implemented. The Information Technology Unit of ECZ are not competent, they should have set up a mock election and done their testing and thereafter provided training to the stakeholders prior to that Business requirements should have been gathered from all stakeholders before developing or buying this product if it is a COTS product. ECZ is inefficient, weak and ineffective and needs a total reformation before the 2016 elections. MMD destroying the equipment is not the way to go, you can display your grievances in another way.
It is really shocking that a man of God can command people to commit sin.
It is very saddening to see what is happening. It seems there is no rule of law. 50 years since independence we still do not have a functioning constitution. This is the root cause of all the legal troubles in this country. All our bright people can’t come up with a constitution? There is no equal power among the branches of the government. The executive branch is too powerful and bully. It can not be questioned. If the judicial branch questions the executive branch. It has the authority to overrule it. In the USA if the supreme court make a decision, the president cannot reverse the decision. Thus why the trend of prosecuting former heads of state in this country will continue. The executive branch can do anything it wants without being questioned but only when it is out of power.
We do want to prosecute former heads when they are out of office in the meantime. The first instance! Concur changes needed to current powers by presidents.
Peace is a sacred commodity which should be guided at all costs. Let us not cause instability in this country. Please people do not destroy the Electoral Commission of Zambia equipment. Please keep the law as law abiding citizens.
Bye elections are not a do-or-die affair. So Pastor Mumba do not forment violence and encourage anarchy. As a ‘man of God’ you must like a positivist (jurisprudence) even take the hemlock than see chaos and ruin. I abhor violence in any form and from whatever cause.
I support the Police Commands strong stance to stamp out any form of illegality and breaking the law is the chief criminal illegality.
Let us embrace technology where it’s intended for a good cause. After all, the official results will be announced from the manual system so I do not see why the anyone should cry foul. The ECZ has made it abundantly clear that this is just a trial run.
ECZ and the PF govt are just crooks. there goes nevers mumba with his artificial commitment. all there politicians are fake arsholes; reporting live from the suberbs of lusaka; i am the one and only evans mfula at evaduco
Madan IG, the problem with you is that when say “anyone” you have actually truncated your the word “anyone” from “anyone one from the opposition”. Its high time your established your reputation as an IG of integrity who served her country with dinstinction. Remember that as the first female IG, your role includes making the path straight for other women in the police force. There are women who look up to you as a role model dont forget. I dont think you would like to play that role badly. So instruct your police officers to “ARREST ANYONE FROM PF AND OPPOSITION WHO FLAUT ZAMBIA’S LAWS”. Otherwise, you are a good police woman, if only you did your work properly. I dont mean you should work against govt.
Absolutely agree. Madam IG, your mantra to your charges should be, ‘professionalism, professionalism, professionalism’. And if you turn the Police Service into a professional organisation, you will have served your country well and all of Africa will trek to ZED to learn from us. I salute you, Madam!!!
FI PF WANT TO RIG
Tell this lunatic Nervers Mumba
Hush now…..A Pastor Speaks;
‘“If you see the ECZ equipment being used, you are free to destroy the equipment because such maneuvers by the ECZ are a danger to the credibility of our elections,” Dr Mumba said.”
Since when do Pastors advocate wanton destruction of gov’t property? Even the Bible tells us to obey gov’t and pay taxes.
Dr Mumba you cannot serve God and mammon. One has to win.
Ine Kudabwa ati ba pastor bacita encouraged vandalism
There is nothing wrong with electronic transmission of election results. We all know that counting is manual and PVT is in place. By the way before results are sent to the totaling centre all stake holder do verify and take note of the figures for each candidate. The only concern here is that the stake holders were neither consulted nor were they invited to the UAT. If it was equipment for counting votes people should have every right to be worried about vote rigging. Lets distinguish vote counting and results transmission and we shall realize that there is nothing to worry about.
Concur. You speak wisely, your distinctions of the two correct, as are the concerns you raise. What I don’t understand is the Smart Android phone connection? Is there a telecoms advertisement fee in there?
It was badly timed, so the furore is understandable. It is cause for alarm. It takes time for people to get their heads around things, this ought to have been notified earlier to all stakeholders and public.
Only in Zambia how do you implement a program without informing parties involved that’s why PF is a party of bullies , now ECZ is informing us the used this system in katuba now after such a long time, only a fool who believe these elections are not rigged
Because so much is hidden from our eyes, no wonder so much apathy . We need a new constitution these bullies are taking advantage of our old one, these PF bullies are killing our country as a poor country we can’t be re- electing MP every second, this is exploitation of our electoral system for political gains.
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