THE European Union (EU) has expressed confidence in the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)’s capacity to successfully organise the August 11 general elections.
EU Ambassador to Zambia and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Alessandro Mariani has since pledged the Union’s commitment to help address some of the country’s economic challenges through enhanced bilateral cooperation.
Mr Mariani said the EU was optimistic that the elections would provide an excellent opportunity to demonstrate Zambia’s commitment to peaceful, credible and transparent elections.
“EU has confidence in ECZ and its capacity to successfully organise the upcoming elections which we hope, in accordance with Zambia’s tradition, will be free from violence and fully respecting fundamental democratic rights such as freedom of expression and freedom of assembly,” he said.
Speaking at the EU Day in Lusaka on Monday, Mr Mariani said the Union had also welcomed the recent indaba where political leaders and the Church agreed to end political violence.
“2016 is the year when, after having passed into law the Constitutional Amendment Bill, Zambia has the opportunity to complete its long Constitutional review process, and it is the year when Zambia can further consolidate its tradition and reputation for democratic elections,” he said.
He observed that 2016 was an important year in which Zambia could capitalise on its status as a regional and international role-model for peace and stability.
The EU praised Zambia’s pro-active role in the regional and international scene, citing the country’s recent appointment as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council.
He said the EU remained committed to supporting Zambia in addressing the economic challenges through development cooperation and enhanced opportunities for trade and investment.
ZAMBIANS DON’T HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF CARDERS LIKE ISACCS. CAN EU ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT THE OPPOSITION ARE SAYING AGAINST THE DUBAI COMPANY?
Whether ECZ or the opposition are given the task to print the ballot papers, ECL will emerge victorious.
@Wise commentator Isaacs has no problem. She is very professional. Our ECZ is very credible.
The EU and all international observers need to conduct pre evaluation and pre election audits to assess whether the commission is ready to conduct the elections instead of just issuing diplomatic statements which they have always done. They also need to tell us why this happened since they had confidence even in the past. Former ECZ Deputy Director convicted over $90,000 bribe.
ZAMBIANS DON’T HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE IN ECZ BECAUSE OF CARDERS LIKE ISACCS. CAN EU ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT THE OPPOSITION ARE SAYING AGAINST THE DUBAI COMPANY?
This will make some cadres here sad. Then Pf ones will unleash Kambwili nonsense.
It took ECZ over one week to count one million votes, is that having capacity? The ‘peaceful country’ status has also been blown to hell, thanks to Lungu for his misguided drunken leadership. Zambia now ranks among the most hateful countries in the world alongside xenophobic villains like South Africa and genocidal Rwanda. This is no longer a peaceful nation, it has crossed the Rubicon and is right now at boiling point and will easily descend into a war torn failed banana republic if thugs are allowed to continue in leadership.
Below par ECZ receives EU high heels, too high for balance.
This is just diplomacy from EU. The problem is that certain ECZ officials have compromised themselves by accepting directives from the Executive to rig elections in favour of ECL and PF. Their insistence on using the Dubai printer is based on the fact that ECL and PF cannot win these elections without rigging given the mood on Zambians. ECL is determined to retain power even if Zambians no longer want him to continue as state President. Influential politicians should prevail on Lungu to accept the outcome of these elections even if he loses. EU and all donors funding this election must insist that the controversial Dubai printer should not be used in printing ballots for Zambia. The Donors must make it a condition of financing and must pay direct to the agreed printer after satisfying…
Well said Alessandro Mariani. Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, etc, are face savers & champions of democratic elections in Africa and this can’t be taken away because of few alarmists who have failed to sell their manifestos to voters. Even when printing was being done in South Africa, they used to complain. MMD & PF have won elections while in opposition and all opposition parties had equal chances of winning especially in 2011 but some of these parties were losing even before that.
UPND CADRES AR JUS FIRING BLANKS, HOW COME PF WON ELECTIONS IN 2011 WHEN IT WAS IN OPPOSITION, DID THEY RIG THOSE ELECTIONS EN HOW COME? DONT BRING IN CHEAP EXCUSES JUS FACE THE ELECTORATE U COWARDS.
In 2011 the rigging was not wide spread. RB on realising he had lost the elections decided to accept the results as they were but could have tried to reverse the election result . RB could have added some spanner works by trying to rig. Being a nationalist RB accepted the loss and moved on. ECL needs to change his mindset and accept that in the event of him losing these elections cleanly he will handover power to the winner. It is apparent that ECL is not prepared to lose these elections and will do everything in his power even if it means rigging. In fact there are indications that rigging is underway by insisting that the Presidential ballots be printed in Dubai by Al Ghurair company. This must be stopped at all costs.