AUDITING of the provisional voters’ register is expected to commence this month ahead of certification next month, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has said.
ECZ chairperson Esau Chulu said the register would be audited by an independent entity beginning June 13 prior to certification on July 31 and in time for the polls on August 11, 2016.
Mr Justice Chulu said this in Lusaka yesterday during an ECZ meeting with electoral stakeholders ahead of the forthcoming elections.
“The Commission is confident that errors traced during the verification exercise of the register of voters by members of the public will be resolved in time for the independent audit and the subsequent certification of the register,” Mr Justice Chulu said.
He said the provisional register was available at the Commission for inspection by political parties following reports that the document contained foreign voters.
Mr Justice Chulu said political parties had up to June 10 this year to inspect the register.
He said the extension of the register’s inspection by members of the public from May 21 to 25 cost the Commission K16 million.
Mr Justice Chulu reiterated that the use of mobile phones inside the polling stations was prohibited while satellite phones would be availed to party agents at stations without mobile phone coverage to transmit results.
“However, polling agents will be permitted to use cell phones for transmission of results at the end of the count,” he said.
Mr Justice Chulu took a swipe at people criticising the Commission’s decision to print ballot papers for the August general elections and the Referendum on the Bill of Rights in Dubai.
He defended the Commission’s decision to award the contract for the printing of ballot papers to Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC of Dubai, saying there was no cause for suspicion as ECZ duly followed the procurement processes enshrined by the Zambia Public Procurement Authority.
“The bid price for the recommended bidder was far below the average price of all bids received and the bidder proved total compliance to all the criteria as set out in the solicitation document.
“Out of the 13 bids received, the Dubai firm ranks fifth in terms of price, best fulfilled the technical specifications of the tender dossier and best responded to the pre-established evaluation criteria,” Mr Justice Chulu said.
Mr Justice Chulu said ECZ would sponsor party agents to Dubai to monitor the printing, packaging and dispatch of the ballot papers to Zambia where the consignment’s arrival in Lusaka will also be witnessed by stakeholders before distribution to polling stations countrywide.
Which Independent entity will audit the voters register? We know it will be Timor consulting to tinker and confuse it more.
I APPEAL TO LEADERS OF OPPOSITION PARTIES AND NGOs TO BE ALERT ALL THE TIME IN MONITORING THE ACTIVITIES OF THIS COMPROMISED CHULU AND ECZ. LUNGU IS A SCHEMER, AND BWEZANI BANDA IS A SCHEMER TOO. THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO STEAL PEOPLE’S VOTES BY USING THIS CHULU OF ECZ AND ZAF. WE DON’T WANT ZAMBIA TO BURN.
Rigging has already taken place, printed ballot papers are already in the country……what they will be witnessing when they go is just a front to show that they’re genuine…there are too many stakeholders in this election and the opposition can not match it… In all fairness with honesty the opposition have a clear and huge margin win….but for the works of bwezani, kaizer. Lungu, chulu including Esther and many more…..the pf will grab the power.
E.C.Z announced a wrong figure for the total registers in southern province just some few weeks ago. unfortunately there was no reaction from stakeholders or the opposition. True figures are that s.p had a total of 862,000 voter from the old and new registration. E.C.Z announced that the total figure was 812,000 wrong figures. Where are the 50,000 voters?. Check these figures on E.C.Z website and compare with what was announced on Z.NBC TV by Akufuna.
Wake up zambians
How do u detect a pre-marked ballot paper? We are well informed these have been printed in favour of ECL. Can a party Agent detect these? In HH’s strongholds they will certainly disenfranchise voters by either transferring voters names to remote constituencies so that such voters do not vote on polling day. If they do they will be given pre-marked ballots on favour of ECL.Now that we know Chulu and RB are first Cousins u can guess what will happen. Blood is thicker than water. RB is the master mind of this rigging using his corrupt Dubai and Uganda connections. All eyes on ECZ especially Ms Mulenga Isaac and Chulu the Chairman himself.