Thousands of registered voters in Lusaka have stayed away from voting in today’s mayoral elections taking place across the city.
An on the spot check at selected polling stations across Lusaka revealed that there were no queues with very little activity happening inside and around the stations.
By lunch time, most of the polling stations voted had registered very few voters who had cast their vote.
Lusaka has over 800,000 registered voters.
Kalingalinga polling station with a total of 899 registered voters and nine streams, less than 200 voters had voted by 11:00 Hours.
At UNZA polling station, only 320 voters had cast their votes as at 12:00 Hours from a 7,000 registered voters.
At Chilenje Library, less than 30 people had voted by 10:00 Hours.
President Lungu who voted at Andrew Mwenya Polling station in Chawama said the low voter turnout was disappointing.
President Lungu said the move to declare the Election Day as a public holiday was meant to encourage more people to turn up and vote.
But UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema who voted at Kabulonga Boys High School said the massively low voter turnout was an indictment on the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
He said every well-meaning Zambian must be concerned over the low voter out.
“Every genuine Zambian must be concerned about low voter turnout. Everybody who believes in democracy and the value it believes must be concerned.
“This is an indictment on the ECZ and its failure to run credible elections,” Mr Hichilema said.
The UPND leader charged that citizens have lost confidence in the ECZ and that the citizens believe their choice is not respected.
Mr Hichilema however called on Zambians to protect their democracy by demanding reforms at the ECZ.
“We can’t allow their complacent to damage our democracy. Time has come to demand and get a truly independent electoral commission,” Mr Hichilema said.
On reports that the ink used to show when one has voted was fading minutes afterwards, Mr Hichilema said the move was a deliberate ploy by the ECZ to allow double voters.
“By having some voters’ fading, the ECZ was allowing people to vote twice, it’s connivance between the ECZ and PF,” Mr Hichilema said.
Meanwhile, National Democratic Congress Mayoral Candidate Saboi Imboela could vote because she is registered under Kafue District.
Hazaluza Hagain! Let’s rule and let’s roll!
Kangwa is the more honest candidate of the two. Sadly the way things operate in Zambia is unless you are willing to work with the govt expect little assistance by way of govt funding. So Lusakans should vote for Kangwa with their hearts and Myles with their brains.
DID ECZ DO IT’S JOB PROPERLY? WHERE THE ADVERTS ADEQUATE. WHO WAS GOING TO PUT FOOD ON THEIR TABLE IN THIS HUSTLE AND BUSTLE NATURE OF THE ECONOMY? DID EVERY LSK REGISTERED VOTER LIVING OUTSIDE THE CITY MAKE IT TO LSK? WERE VOTERS HAPPY WITH PARTY CHOICES? WHERE IS THAT ANTI-VOTER APATHY NGO? MAYBE ZAMBIANS ARE FED OF ELECTION AFTER ELECTION.
“”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
Those charged with the post election reports kindly share your findings after your study.
Voter sensitization groups must be held accountable.
I thank you.
Kikikiki This is embarrassing to PF, all those music concerts for nothing.
The all lot of a president going flat out to campaign, declaring holiday etc, all in being.
At least if people had gone to work, it could have been better.
What a nightmare for PF.
Let use our brains. Brains which think clearly.
An election is considered worthy if at least 51% of the registered voters turn out to vote! Of what help was declaring the day a ‘holiday’? Good enough for people complied!
Double voters?Are they only PF members
The Prodigal son is beating the tribal organisation.
Yaba!, h.h’sreasoning capacity is amazing for its low calibre, what is the connecfion to ECZ if people choose not to vote? Reasoning kwati ni jj, the negative impact of tribal thinking isshowing!.
Your dullness is shocking.
Diseased brains! And contaminated with tribalism.
You mean you do not see the connection between apathy and ECZ credibility/legitimacy to run an election? And you are the person we have entrusted to run the economy? No wonder….
Sick double h, it’s not a matter of a leash on voters’ necks to force them to vote. Until a study is conducted, don’t rush to illogical conclusions. Search your heart and for once allow that part of your brain to calm you down for a sound comment. Are you scared that you lost this one too? Zambians nowadays are not as hoodwinked or brainwashed as you think. They ‘ve been watching how you unreasonably launched verbal and physical assaults on each other. But until a study is conducted by relevant officials, it’s shut the hell up.
That can work because they follow where there tribal leader takes them!
Thorn in the flesh, what research was done by PF to show that she you declare Thursday a public holiday people will turn up to vote in numbers? Do not find a scapegoat for this delusional decision to keep millions of people across the country from work to facilitate a shum election. Was ECZ responsible for this calamitous decision? Do you trust ECZ? If you don’t know, let the apathy serve as an indicator of how people feel of your government
@jjp
Like KK would say “stupid question, shallow thinking sit down.”
But seriously apathy is a normal characteristic of any bye election let alone any election. That is why you have a phrase like “voter turnout” in your electoral dictionary. You can not have all registered voters voting in a normal election. Unlike the SP where surprisingly voter turnout is almost always high. But a postmortem should be conducted to understand the cause of high levels of apathy to avoid speculations like those being made by your leader. A winner will emerge on the total cast votes anyway. In case you didn’t know ECZ must always issue a report post election.
When you say “sick double h” do you mean that as in literally or figuratively?
Literally.
An indictment on ECZ?
surely Under 5 Kaponya? Are you serious?
It’s an indictment on your violent Mapatizya mantra and panga for panga bull SHlT
Mapatizya formula wanted to set everything ablaze and the quick thinking president said everyone go home! It is a holiday. Animo farm foaming and fuming.
Fake pastor Kangwa Chileshe and Kaponya (HH) what a combination
This scruffy fake pastor HlDlOT Kangwa Chileshe should learn from Nevers Sekwila Mumbwe. Nevers Mumbwe has learnt to respect authority after spending a few days in Chimbokaila. Nevers Mumbwe has tamed his tongue. He has gone back to the pulpit. Youngster don’t play with authority.
Fake Pastor Kangwa Chileshe don’t be bulldozed by Kaponya (HH) who was corrupted when he punctured Charmaine in Chilanga
Pastor Chileshe Kangwa is far more credible than you hanger-on, totallly dependent on crumbles falling of the corrupt in order to survive. Those crumbs are giving you energy to insault forgetting there is a future that needs to be secured away from leaders whose conscience is seared with a hot iron. It is people like you denying Zambia an opportunity to create decent jobs for thousands. How long shall we reduce our children to ululaters of mediocrity? Some of you re so blinded by crumbs that you do not even know what decent jobs look like…and you want the future to live like you?
(HH) Kaponya can never win an election in Zambia. Maybe in Burundi.
This is Zambia. Gay Jay the UPND cadre and his fellow UPND cadres think reading fake news at Zambian Witch Doctor can win them an election. Spaka is silent today. These paid cadres who rant the whole day with no direction.
By the way (HH) stole privatisation money and hid it in Panama. He is a practising Satamnic Free Masson and this is why we can’t vote for him or GBM or Fake Pastor Kangwa Chileshe or Mutinta Ichilema.
Kudos , kudos ….who lost their licence to LAZ for defrauding a widow ?
A) HH
B) GBM
C) lungu…
Kudos kudos if you get the above question right , you can have the stalker Sharon….
Mr. Kudos, that skull of a portrait of you indeed has no brains. You are better off remaining six feet under. This is a world of the living.
In fact it is HH who must be worried because it is clear that many people do not see sense in those in opposition!!!Late Michael Sata used to attract long queues in urban areas as many had hope in him(Sata’s PF while in opposition)!!!!
If many Zambians in Lusaka love HH’s UPND,they could have turned out in large numbers to vote PF out.Already initial results across Lusaka indicate that PF is coming out number one at almost all polling stations!!
ECZ has nothing to do with voter apathy!!!All politicians must blame themselves for this voter apathy.HH should stop blaming others for his loses!!!
Look,if only 50 000 voters voted today in Lusaka,majority of those should have been for UPND if this party is popular here because voter apathy affects all political parties!!!THE FACT IS THAT…
Its not about tribe iwe Chi Sharon, where did u get that term, is it from your president a tribe list
Ba pf ba voter ichungulo emwe!!!! Ni mighteee!! Wait for the results you will be impressed with voter turn out.
Ba HH mwalifwa umutwe, you are full of pride that’s why you don’t reason properly… We are all waiting for a proper research to be conducted so we can know why people didn’t turn in huge numbers to vote.. Not fyo fyo fyo everytime. You make me sick Aaahh ????????????????
All those mass rallies we were exposed to on mainstream media, you tube and other social media.Where did all those multitudes with their votes disappear to?..Christ have mercy
hh lifontini
It is tulu.
I wish all people could not vote.
let me hustle, get paid and remember the needy. politics and the comments people make on such stories will never build an honest and hard working nation. if only all politicians can lead by the example of love and honesty and the rest of us can be focused on the issues that really matter to all of us, we can make a better Zambia.
let me hustle, get paid and remember the needy. politics and some of the negative comments people make on such stories will never build an honest and hard working nation. if only all politicians can lead by the example of love and honesty and the rest of us can be focused on the issues that really matter to all of us, we can make a better Zambia.
This very embarrasing for pf and lungu …….after spending $17 billion The chaps should not even be campaigning , they should have happy Zambians queing to cast their votes for them , instead we have voter disillusionment…..
Ukulavotela ba Sampa!!! Chawama tatwishileko MWe bantu
I did not vote because both major parties fielded candidates I did not like. The rest did not convince me. So… I stayed home
Or ka spoiled ballot sir could have been better
Oh yes there is no connection.between ECZ and apathy, if there was a connection upnd and h.h would not have taken part. The only connection.is what came out of the mouth of h.h himself: he hates the Chairperson for being a nsenga, its all tribal. Tonga only to lead upnd. What else is is h.h capable of apart from tribalism? Everybody is fed up of h.h, otherwise we would have kicked out Lungu many moons ago.
PF has won 13 out of 14 seats today including Chilanga and wards in North Western and Western.UPND only won a ward in N/Western.
Miles Sampa is leading at almost all polling stations in Lusaka!!!
The only concern for PF now is voter apathy and not the opposition parties who are all too weak!!!
CONGRATS MIGHTY PF FOR TEACHING LOSERS CAMPED IN UPND AND NDC A BIG POLITICAL LESSON!!
It is 13-1 scoreline in favour of Mighty PF!
Yet another public holiday. To build the country we need to work harder. Public holidays cut down productivity and cut government finance. Why not hold this type of election on a weekend.
I fail to understand why simple facts cannot sink into h.h’s head. Look with the average performance of PF and especially Edgar Lungu as President, if we voters thought h.h was better or a viable alternative, we would have kicked him out. The fact that we let Lungu continue is an indictment of h.h. Instead of looking at himself as the cause of his failure, h.h looks at others. How I hate idoits who always point fingures and will never see anything good in others. This tribe, awe mwandi katwishi
ECZ should not declare a winning candidate with less than 50% of the total vote cast.
This is a timely lesson to President Lungu that his powers invested in him by the constitution can be misinterpreted by the masses. He thought by declaring a public holiday, many people will go and vote.
We have lost interest in the running of elections in this country. Some election results were petitioned and nothing positive is coming out to the expectations of the people and you expect the same people to vote.
The feeding thumb ink reason did not bring out the intelligence from HH. It’s the voters register that can make people vote twice.
Its supplising to see that most people have lost interest in election, this is because the PF Government has made the poor Zambia to be more poorer. The time polls where opened up, a lot of Zambians’ went to find any means for them to have something on the table. The high cost of living that many Zambians are subjected too, also contributed.
People lets open our eyes and see how things are running in our country, lets not be talking without using our brains. A lot of voters did not turn up because they went to find any means to put food on the table. With high cost of living the Zambians are subjected too, I tell you a lot of meaningfull Zambians lost interest and confidence in ECZ.
Are folk really celebrating a Miles Sampa win? Mu fwaya progress nangula mu fwaya uku cita marginalise aba Tonga? You keep enriching politicians that have failed you by stealing from you in the hopes of punishing someone for his tribal background. To what end? To continue to be an impoverished nation? A nation ruled by leaders who take pride in educating their loved ones and getting medical treatment abroad while looting funds meant for our schools and hospitals? Have we no pride?
And ba LT who censors #t????nga#?
Calling for reforms at ECZ is a call in futility. It will never work.ECZ will always dance to the ruling party’s tunes. People will only become interested in voting again when absolutely sure that ECZ is a reformed institution.
A bit of education to my fellow Zambians…. Issue on voter apathy has to do with lack of education on the role and importance of local government that is the role of mayors and councilors which can only be appreciated in the near future when this part of political governance is truly and fully decentralised because it is the power force for any development at community level. I was born and has lived in a decentralised system of governance, we turned out to vote in large numbers for councillor and mayoral elections then because we knew that they were the drivers at community level which unfortunately is not the case now. All they do is think of how they will make money using these positions. THAT IS WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO VOTER APATHY FOR THESE ELECTIONS.
SENIOR CITIZEN
The other concrete reason for voter apathy is the way the PF treats the opposition in this country. The PF could hold a rally any time and day they wanted and ZNBC would fully cover their rallies but for the opposition it is a sorry state of affairs.Kambwili was denied a rally in chifunabuli despite being in possession of a valid police permit. I personally stayed away from voting because of the way the opposition is treated by PF.Blocked rallies and very poor coverage by state-controlled media houses. Let them continue manipulating and winning but time is ticking. It will catch up with them one day.PF has killed democracy which MMD brought.
Rally or no rally no one stopped you from casting your vote especially that you’re even given a full holiday.
If he had a way, Edgar could have reversed the declaration of the holiday. ECZ must serious consider the continuous voter registration, the new enthusiastic voters could have made a little difference. It’s an embarrassing minority landslide. Kambwili thinks he can win elections by merely making noise. Hichilema has no strategy, Kakoma managed to by mealie meal and will be at Shoprite to finish what remained from campaign money, like that life goes on. What a life!