Ganapathy explains the printing process in the plant to the Zambian
team which is in Dubai to observe the printing of ballot papers for
the August 11, 2016 general elections.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) have paid glowing tribute to the ‘team Zambia’ which is monitoring the printing of the August 11 general election ballot papers in Dubai for its hard work and unity of purpose.
ECZ Commissioner David Matongo said in Dubai today that the tenacity for the team to work together despite belonging to different political parties and representing different organisations should be inculcated in all Zambians.
Mr. Matongo, who arrived in Dubai today, observed that the Commission was aware of the unity and the hard which the team, led by another ECZ Commissioner Emily Sikazwe, has exhibited during their work in Dubai.
“We have been following up through briefs which our colleagues who have been here brought back home and also newspapers and television Zambia have kept us informed,” he said.
He added that, “quite frankly, the peace you enjoy here as a group is the peace we would like to see back home as we proceed to the August 11elections.”
Mr. Matongo further pointed out that Zambians have no option but to maintain peace and unity during the elections period.
He noted that perceptions and suspicions among Zambians should be a thing of the past as they focus towards the election date, which is less than one month from now.
“I merely wish to commend you here for the job well done. I will lie if I said we have heard anything (back home) other than the hard work you have been doing. This is Zambian and I think we should maintain this,” he stressed.
And Mr. Matongo has disclosed that Lusaka and Namwala districts have experienced unprecedented peace during the 10 days during which political campaigns were suspended in the two areas.
He said this was an indication that the majority of Zambians were committing themselves to having peaceful elections in the country.
He was responding to a concern raised by the United Party for National Development (UPND) representative in Dubai, Jones Mulunga, who wanted to know what the ECZ was doing to maintain peace amidst signing of peace agreements among political parties in Zambia.
Mr. Matongo also said the signing of peace deals by political parties was part of the peace building process which the Electoral Commission of Zambia was employing towards elections.
“We believe that these elections will be peaceful. Let the best woman or man win. Ours is to deliver a credible election which will answer the wills of Zambians. Beyond that, we are not interested,” he said.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) Shemmy Makelele, who joined team Zambia in Dubai a few days ago, said he was impressed with the quality of work done by Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company which is printing the ballot papers.
Bishop Makelele, who is representing the Christian churches at the printing of ballot papers, said the spirit of unity, peace and love shown in team Zambia should be exercised in Zambia as well.
Representatives of political parties and civil society organisations have worked as a united force in the past two weeks and have described the whole printing process as transparent and of high quality.
The Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company is expected to complete the ballot paper printing process tomorrow.
Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company General Manager, Lakshmanan Ganapathy, told Mr. Matongo that the printing of national assembly ballot papers could be completed tomorrow.
Mr. Ganapathy said during the inspection of the printing and packaging process in the printing plant today, that the whole exercise of packing ballot paper boxes into pallets was likely be done by July 25, 2016.
He said by that time, the packaging of all the ballot papers and posters should be completed and ready for delivery to Zambia.
And the printing of local government ballot papers, which was at 84 percent on Sunday, has been completed.
Electoral Commission of Zambia Senior Public Relations Officer Sylvia Bwalya, said here today that only the printing of national assembly ballot papers was still on-going and the process was at 45 percent as of today.
Ms. Bwalya said the exercise has progressed very well and was on schedule.
The printing of ballot papers and posters for presidential, mayoral/council chairpersons, local government and referendum has all been completed.
Why didn’t Upnd send VJ so that he can sonta rigging.
How much are the allowances for the observers. Where are they staying and how many meals. How often do they go shopping? Are their personal goods bought also packed on pallets, and will be shipped together with ballot papers?
If all my answered in a non-Zambian way, then I will trust ECZ.
But knowing Zambians, and being the 3rd hungriest country on 2016, those observers are more compromised than the printing company itself.
This is re-loaded stupid!ty of the highest order. You have printing presses in your own country manned by qualified and experienced printing personnel, and cheaper, yet you choose a crooked printer thousands of kilometers away!
Lets hope all reps will take stock of printed ballots especially for the Presidential vote and witnessed the packaging and sealing. We hope the issue of the extra and premarked ballots has been laid to rest.
How can you send people who are so evidently ignorant of the printing process to be observers. You have a compromised David Matongo making such a fo.olish statement on his arrival when he doesn’t even know what has been going on. All of those observers are impressed with nothing but their ignorance!!
Elated about spending precious tax dollars in a foreign country when your children are dying in hospitals because of lack of medicine…folly of the highest order!!
jOKE