NO-ONE will be allowed to enter any polling stations with a cellphone to avoid leaking unconfirmed results, Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has announced.
Meanwhile, the commission has allowed the transmission of elections results electronically to the totaling centre so that they can be announced in good time.
The ban on Cellphones follows an observation by the commission that there were a lot of speculations during the counting of votes because people found in polling stations leaked unconfirmed results.
The Commission in the Electoral Process Bill for 2016 is seeking powers to penalize abusers of the Electoral Code of Conduct.
Speaking when they made submissions before the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs yesterday, ECZ chairperson Esau Chulu and director Priscilla Isaacs explained that nobody would be allowed to carry a cellphone in polling stations including polling officers.
Justice Chulu also said ECZ would not allow recounting of ballot papers at the totaling centre, adding that anybody who would be aggrieved with the outcome should seek a court petition.
He however started that recounting of ballot papers would be allowed in different police stations but not at the totaling centre.
Only in Africa!!
But what evidence do other agents who count the votes have once they have counted the ballots? So the ECZ (PF) cadres can change and report different results? Opposition should put all their sense into this process to ensure that all loopholes are sealed. They want to announce wrong results and to recount, they have to move the ballots to another place after stuff the boxes with the right numbers that favour the PF on the way as they move to another location. It is all clear what they are doing.
ECZ are trying by all means to please their masters. What’s wrong with one sending results to the senior party official at a certain polling station? In this time and era, why should one say no use of cellphones at polling stations? when are we going to embrace change in this country? in other countries the moment one votes the whole country is able to see and as people votes people are able to see how results are flowing in
Zambia the real Africa. Where people behave anyhow and go Scot free………
Still HH will win………
we want to compare with your results from polling stations. what are you scared with???
we want to compare with your results from polling stations. what are you scared for??? let polling agents have them
UPND will win
UPND will never form gvt
This is so sad for Zambia. Will these pf Mps pass this law? They want to block the American PVT but God won’t allow them to rig.
Pf has lost popularity. Expect massive exodus after 11/ 8. Only family members will vote for Pf.
it’s only your family that has lost popularity.
…a clear sign of desperation….you lose a car and you start searching your pockets……what has a mere voter got to do with number of votes casted….it will be interesting to deny the first voter from going at the poling station with a cellphone because he may spread the rumour of votes already cast..kikikiki
…may be at count stage yes….not mere voting….
..the other day some PS was was talking about people who apply foe DUAL citizeniship…my foot….how would anyone apply for dual citizenship…and who the hell would issue that..??
Keep it up ECZ because some people think elections are their children’s play grounds. stealing money and winning elections are two diffrent
The headline is misleading… ECZ meant ECZ officials, Political party agents, observers and other accredited polling station personnel will not be allowed to use cellphones while in the polling stations not ati Booth ala!!
U monkey are purely thief
If UPND wins this election all this nonsense about Dubai this, rigging that will be quickly forgotten and they would celebrating. This was the same thing PF did. Before 2011 election it was ” MMD will rig this, rig that” but when they announced results in their favour that was the end of rigging. This shows not only how stupid opposition politics in Africa can be but also how shallow the opposition is in Africa.
Ndelolesha fye…Paka Litulike.
if polling officers has a problem how are they going to inform the returning officer? how is the pvt going to operate without phones? how are they going to communicate problems the monitors? this idea is questionable.