Stakeholders have urged the Electoral Commission of Zambia to resolve inconsistencies being experienced in the accreditation of monitors, observers and political party agents.
Center for Constitutionalism and Legal Justice (CCONLEJ) Director Isaac Mwanza said the lack of uniformity across local councils doing the accreditation process is making it difficult for organization to accredit monitors.
And GEARS Initiative Zambia Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi said the many militating factors in the accreditation process have undermined the efficiency and proper coordination of the process by the Commission.
“The inconsistent messages and directives by the Commission at district level is creating unnecessary delays due to misunderstandings on whether monitors/party/candidate agents must physically present themselves before the ECZ official to have their photos taken for the Identities to allow them to access polling stations on election day,” said Chipenzi.
And Mr Mwanza said the misleading requirement by some Councils for applicants to physical present themselves is against the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Commission as well as the public notice on the accreditation process.
“The public gathering by monitors has the potential to endanger the lives of observers, monitors, and party agents to COVID-19 Virus and is against the established guidelines by ECZ that discourages public gatherings,” he said.
Meanwhile, Good Governance Zambia National Coordinator Rodney Katongo said the different processes of accreditation being followed by different councils will jeopardize the process by civil society organisations to effectively participate in monitoring the August 12 election.
The organisations have since called for extension of the accreditation process by a few more days especially if the Commission can effectively provide uniformity to this process.
