The Electoral Commission of Zambia says Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC of Dubai emerged the most competitive bidder of the two bidders that met the technical requirement as specified in the bidding documents and the accompanying addenda for the printing of ballot papers.
ECZ public relations manager Crispin Akufuna in a statement to QFM says of the 13 companies which initially submitted their bids at the close of the tender on 22nd January, 2016,only two bidders met the technical requirements.
Mr. Akufuna says the financial evaluation between the two bidders that met the technical requirements as specified in the bidding documents favoured Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing.
He says the Commission has strictly adhered to the provisions of the Zambia Public Procurement Act and is therefore extremely disappointed by utterances and accusations in the media by some political figures.
Mr. Akufuna says the Commission if further perturbed by accusations by FDD leader Edith Nawakwi that ECZ Chairperson Esau Chulu is colluding with the PF to rig the elections by printing ballots in Dubai.
He says representatives of the candidates for the presidential election will monitor the entire process of printing ballot papers at the full expense of the Commission as has been the case in the past.
If Timor consulting, the isrealis company unearthed advising PF is a reality, belive me the printing been done in dubai is too much of a coincidence. Dubai is an operations ground for dirty tricks in the middle east with the isreali companies leading.
What if Timor consulting topped-up the low bid of the Arabs??
We will not allow this, sorry folks, now is the time to defend our country. We can not sit back and watch Zambia turn into Zimbabwe. Lungu, Mugabe, Timor, Dubai ballots. All this coincidental? You must think we are all fulls, gentlemen, defend your nation!
The biggest problem is that the Dubai company has no experience with democracy; the Durban company is much better at that. It is like having your ballot papers printed in North Korea.
Kikikikikikiki, yaba! Akusabaileni……….Lungu alepita! Chikubabe reloaded.
Only two bidders? What a joke. And why Dubai, of all places?
Do you want the ballot papers to be printed in HH back yard? And why threaten violence over a non-issue. If HH is destined to win the forth coming elections, nothing will stop him. And if he wins, I hope all you UPND vuvuzelas will dispute the result.
Only two out of 13 original bidders meeting the “technical requirements!” How strange that is. What kind of technical requirements must those be, if not ones based on how rig the election?
SO EVERYONE HERE IS COMPLAINING AGAINST ECZ DECISION BECAUSE OF VJ? IF VJ SAID NOTHING OR IF VJ SAID ITS A GOOD COMPANY AND ALL POLITICIANS KEPT QUIET THEN IT WOULD BE ALRIGHT WITH EVERYONE THEN? SINCE WHEN DID VJ BECOME A STANDARD OF POLITICAL INTEGRITY? BLIND FOLLOWING- “THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND” FOR A FACT.
SO IF ECZ HIRES RSA COMPANY AND HH LOSES BADLY; WILL YOU THEN CONCEDE DEFEAT IN ALL HONESTY?
WHAT LUNGU IS DOING IS ANNOYING! THESE CRIMINALS HAVE INDEED GONE TOO FAR IN TAKING ZAMBIANS FOR GRANTED! THIS IRKS!
@ Technical Requirements my @$s. What is technical about printing a sheet of ballot paper. This isn’t a complex systems of systems engineering procurement now, or is it?
It’s embarrassing that you have to outsource a simple job like printing… it’s cr@zy!
Zambians have lost. PF has won another five five years of hardship. Unless something is done.
You mean all the previous regimes have just been eating and never think of something reliable in country to do this job. We are waiting for donors to set up another printing institution then we will go boosting that we a working government look at my the infrustructure. Bulali fuzi
ECZ must understand one thing. Pricing is not the only consideration in a competitive bidding process, the integrity of the winning bidder matters most otherwise the whole electoral process will be discredited. Very serious rigging allegations have made against the winner of the tender. Did ECZ investigate the alleged allegations against this Dubai Printer? If so what was ECZ’s findings? In tender issues reputational risk is an important consideration and ECZ must seek a buy-in this process from stateholders to ensure a free,fair and credible elections in 2016.
ALLEGATIONS and RUMOURS can not be the basis on which decisions are made. If there are any pending or proven legal judgements against this company then VJ’s and his UPND concerns would carry some weight. Because your arguments that there are rigging allegations against this company, without any of the accusers giving credible evidence to prove their malicious insinuations, is tantamount to character assassination—and the company has the right to take legal action against people like VJ and his cohorts in the Zambian courts.
Read the article entitled “Our decision on where to print ballot papers is final-ECZ Director” (just below this one) and get the explanation by Ms. Isacs why this Dubai company was picked—EZC has set tender laws/rules they have to follow!
ECZ is an autonomous body and followed ZPPA Procedures so i dont know what the who ha is all about. Suppose UPND won the elections will they refuse
We don’t want to suppose; we want a truly safe and trusted process.
PF made similar accusations every time there were elections. Probably you were one of those supporting the same claims. Now all of a sudden because you are in power the process is transparent. This is the problem I have with cadres whether PF or UPND.
Tongas are always making noise. Don’t worry you will vote 100% in southern province like you did last time. HH will win in southern no doubt about that.
Bottom line is look at the previous elections with live alterations of election results on ZNBC. Do you really expect stakeholders to be confident of the process? There is also the issue of Uganda which had ballot papers printed in Dubai. Then there is the Timory consultants which government officials have issued contrasting statements about. You also have government machinery visiting Dubai. Would be comfortable to hear ballot papers are coming from Dubai? I don’t expect you to give an honest answer. But remember stupid leadership is a danger to everyone in a society including those that support it.
Open letter to Priscila Mulenga Isaac
By + on April 16, 201646 Comments
Editor publish this letter without fail.
We know where Priscila Mulenga Isaacs sleeps, we know where she takes her wines from and we know who she goes to bed with (we know both of them) but that is not important for now.
Above all we have phone conversations between Priscilla and President Lungu, we also have her conversations with other state house officials. This also applies to Cris Akufuna.
In her conversation with Kaizer Zulu she said she can’t stay in Zambia with UPND in power and will do anything to deliver PF come August, 2016. We also have her recording with Chishimba Kambwili.
By the way, we have the audios of her meeting with ECZ staff during last year’s election where she vehemently said…
STOP your depraved intimidations and nonsensical kaponya behaviour!
Why is this ZWD modus operandi becoming so contagious like DENKENDE (mouth and foot disease)?
GROW UP!!!!!
@Yambayamba,
We talking about Zambia here not your Senga Hill village in Chief Professor Mphande’s Chiefdom. We know cash has exchanged hands hence the insistence of this shameless Priscilla lady.
Ubufi!!!!
@Martin, seek help for your hallucinations. We have bla bla bla bla, year in year out.
What has gone wrong all of a sudden with the south African company that has always been managing our ballot papers even on the eleventh hour (during the death of our two sitting presidents)? Didn’t they tender for the contract? was the contract price they offered too much compared to these other bidders? How competitive were these Dubai printers? All things being equal, south African company would have been the best having done a descent job during the past elections we’ve had
How do you know? Maybe the company showed signs of compromise.
Wait for August 11,we are Powerful people fighting for non tribal party!!!
One Zambia one nation.
Is it too early to say good bye to a peaceful Zambia or we should do that after 08/11?
Clearly a Musevenization of the Zambian electoral process. It always begins with the printing of ballot papers.
Its normal for parties to claim that rigging will take place we saw this with Sata every time he lost elections. So PF cadres should not be too harsh on their opposition counterparts because they went through the same process. But like we saw with the FAZ elections once people have made up their minds even rigging fails.
I think we have had enough of this nonsense story. We will not allow Zambians to be cheated by an unprepared opposition which is just bent on discrediting the polls. ECZ is a very professional body and it’s not weak. It can’t be influenced by anyone. (HH) thinks this is Zambia Privatization Agency (ZPA) which he corruptly influenced. Forget it swyne. (HH) don’t be an alarmist
Comment: i see a lot of ignorance on the public procurement act.
I like ECZ and madam Priscilla Mulenga Isaac as these people are very firm and fair!!HH,WYNTER KABIMBA,EDITH NAWAKWI,ETC SHALL BE RANTING EVERYDAY,BUT NOTHING WILL MOVE ECZ!!BALLOT PAPERS WILL BE PRINTED IN DUBAI BY ECZ BECAUSE A COMPANY FROM THERE MUST BE CHEAPER BUT BETTER THAN SOUTH AFRICAN FIRMS!!BRAVO ECZ!!HH THINKS THAT HE CAN CONTROL GOVNT THE WAY HE CONTROLS HIS POORLY PAID KACHEMAS AT HIS FARM IN MONZE-SHAME!!!IF ECZ WILL LISTEN TO HH,THEN GOVNT MUST FIRE TOP LEADERS AT ECZ!!DO YOUR WORK PEOPLE AT ECZ AND LET HH FOCUS OF GROWING HIS TRIBAL PARTY UPND!!Guy Scott made life too easy for hh in 2015,so his chance is long gone.now its time for people’s president Edgar Lungu!!GO PF GO!!
Priscilla and others should just be clear that should their rigging attempt not succeed, she will be charged with her friends of treason come after august 11. The law is very clear. We are warning you. Dont say you didnt know.
Since you have indicated already that you cant live in Zambia under a UPND government, we will provide 24 hour surveillance during elections and capture you before you run away from Zambia.
Nikuvu, 1996 . as long as some people are adamant and incorrigible it is Nikuvu 1996. I leave it there. Let god the almighty guide this nation by giving us sober minded and god fearing leaders who desist fraud and falsehood.
This was a PR disaster from the onset surely …The arrogant Director messed up in her answers on TV and should have been prepared for such questions…where was the PR officer, that is how you professionally answer questions!!
This Man Isac Looks Like Kagame Any Relationship
Even if the printing takes place in HH ‘s back yard he will always find something to rant about. Ignore them & ECZ continue doing what you are mandated to do!
UPND VS ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF ZAMBIA
UPND has once again exposed its dictatorial tendencies, a thing we all know suppresses our democracy. It’s quite embarrassing that our colleagues seem not to know that Zambia is governed based on laws. Why should a political party use the social media or press to criticize and interferre with works of an independent body like the Electoral Commission of Zambia?
Perhaps I remind my UPND friends that all tenders in Zambia are awarded in accordance with the provision of THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT [No. 12 of 2008 309]. PART V (37) of the the document reads “A bidder shall not be excluded from participating in public procurement on the basis of nationality, race, religion, gender or any other criterion not related to its eligibility or…
Ok, fair and square, let VJ print the ballot papers and see if UPND will win.
The HiV in mwanga has spread to his head please forgive him. This is the same guy that brought nikuv
ECZ should stand firm and just ignore the opposition to the Dubai company printing the ballot papers. If UPND, FDD, etc so aggrieved about this and want to boycott the elections on this account, let them go ahead and become extinct like UNIP did in 1996. When VJ was in government, were there any objections to whoever printed the ballot papers?
Time wasters always complaining about this and that, go ahead ECZ and do your job professionally!!!!!!!!!
Morally speaking, we must not engage non democratic countries/firms in dispensing democracy in our country. Dubai has never printed or even exercised democracy. Therefore, we should always bur such from taking part in our electoral business. Besides the MMD bought latest technology to print ballot papers and here we are engaging foreign firms to do this. When will we ever move always from this tendency and why have we not used the previous printer? We lack consistence and it is a pity that we still have to engage outsider when it comes such serious issues/matters.
It’s easy to start a war but very difficult to stop it. We can’t allow a Dubai based company yo do that job for us. It’s like asking BOKO HARAM where we can search for the abducted 200 girls.
What is your problem? ECZ cannot sink that low, it has men and women of integrity!
Strange that in 2016, we are still outsourcing a simple and straight job of printing a ballot paper. Instead of empowering our own Printing companies, we would rather create employment for the already rich Dubai people. How are we going to create jobs and wealth for our people if even simple non complex jobs are given to foreign companies?
Priscilla says she cannot live in zambia with UPND in leadership why? Hate speech and tribalism at its by ECZ no wonder she wants to rig thru the terrorists in Dubai , TWAKANA bena zambia. Let her pay back the money she got from PF.