PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Nkoloma Ward aspiring councillor Tasila Lungu yesterday filed in her nomination at Dili Primary School in Lusaka’s Chawama Constituency.

Ms Lungu, who was flanked by scores of party members, said she was motivated to join politics as a way of contributing to uplifting the living standards of the people, particularly the underprivileged in various communities.

Ms Lungu, who is President Edgar Lungu’s daughter, said joining politics was the biggest part of her life because it would help her to be fully part of the community.

She said in an interview yesterday shortly after filing in her nomination that her duty was to continue from where her predecessor left.

“I am aware that most of the roads in the constituency are done, so I just want the people to know that I am here for them and to work with them,” Ms Lungu said.

She said it was her desire to be part of the community and learn of their challenges because Chawama Constituency was dearer to her father who was area member of Parliament (MP) before being elected as Head of State.

Ms Lungu encouraged her fellow women to take part in the elections, saying it was a good platform for them to bring about more development.

She pledged to deliver more development and help rid the ward of garbage while closely working with the local people to address more of their challenges.

Scores of PF supporters who accompanied Ms Lungu said Ms Lungu would contribute more to the development of the ward in line with the PF Government’s development agenda.

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.

Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia Chairperson, Henry Kabwe, has urged journalists from both public and private media to work professionally ahead of the August 11, 2016 general elections.

Mr Kabwe said journalists should not take sides in their reporting especially this time when campaigns have heated up by political parties that will be participating in elections this year.

The MISA-Zambia Chairperson was speaking to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka.

He added that it is unprofessional for both public and private media personnel to support preferred political parties.

Mr Kabwe said journalists should always remember to get facts correctly as opposed to twisting stories to favour their favourite political parties.

He said reporters should be careful not to promote unnecessary acrimony between politicians because their noble role is to inform the public the truth.

He added that MISA-Zambia does not want to see a situation where journalists are dismissed from their employment when the party which they reported against comes into power.

Mr Kabwe said doing the right thing on the part of journalists is cardinal and ethical as called for by the journalist profession.

He said this following the call by the Information Minister, Chishimba Kambwli over the weekend, that government will ensure that both private and public media personnel are protected during the run-up to the August 11, 2016, general elections.

Confusion characterised the filing in of nominations for the UPND Parliamentary candidate in Livingstone today, with party members claiming Matthews Jere and former Justice Permanent Secretary, Joseph Akafumba, had adoption certificates.

Some UPND cadres almost blocked Mr Jere from filing his nomination papers demanding that the process be halted to await clarification from the party secretariat on who was the right candidate between him and Mr Akafumba.

UPND Livingstone Constituency Chairman, Milford Maambo, who was manhandled and only rescued by alert police officers, urged electoral officials to change the filing in of nomination papers from 10:00 hours to 14:00 hours for the party’s senior officials to give direction on the matter.

In an interview with journalists shortly after the fracas, Mr Maambo said the party had issued two adoption certificates.

“We have two candidates with adoption certificates and the party’s national management has not given direction as to who is the right candidate, so what will happen here if Jere files his papers will be illegal,” he said.

However, Mr Jere proceeded to file in his nomination papers successfully, saying the process had not been easy for him.

“We are aware that there was a cartel peddling lies that I would be arrested today so that their preferred candidate would take my place but I am sure they feel embarrassed now,” he said.

He denounced violence and called for peaceful and issue-based campaigns.

And when contacted for a comment, Mr Akafumba said the party gave him a standby adoption certificate to file as a candidate in an event that Mr Jere was stopped from filing in his nomination papers due to investigations pertaining to the corruption and suspension of the Livingstone City Council.

He said it is unfortunate that there was a misunderstanding but clarified that the party did not want to be caught unaware.

He said Mr Jere was the adopted candidate and he would support his candidature.

Meanwhile, former Livingstone District Commissioner, Omar Munsanje, successfully filed in his nomination papers and called for completion of pending projects and initiation of new ones.

Mr Munsanje also pledged to address water, sewer and sanitation challenges for the benefit of residents.

“My chances of winning are high because PF has done a lot for the people of Livingstone. As someone who worked in government, I have information on what the people of Livingstone need on my fingertips,” he said.

And UNIP candidate, Ian Munkombwe, said he would bring radical change to Livingstone once elected and would ensure the city was identified by its status as the tourist capital.

MMD candidate, Michael Kashinka, said he would promote cross-border trade with neighbouring countries.

Mr Kashinka emphasised the need to attract investors and more tourists to the city to increase economic activity.

In terms of factions within the party, the aspiring Member of Parliament claimed there was unity in the party and members would support the party leader who would be deemed to be the right one.

Charles Namuchana, an independent candidate, said he would work on the roads, dilapidated bridges and rid the city of corruption.

Another independent candidate, Edwin Simwimba, said he had done his homework and deserved to be elected as he was working in collaboration with the local authority in offering services to the needy in communities.

By press time, Rainbow party, United Progressive Party (UPP) and independent candidate, Joram Mwinda, were yet to file in their nomination papers.

Party Spokesperson Charles Kakoma says the presidential running mate will be unveiled in time for the filing in of presidential nominations on Friday.

Mr. Kakoma explained that the UPND constitution stipulates that selection of the running mate is the discretion of the Party President and not the Party Members.

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has remained mute on the issue surrounding his running mate triggering speculation.

Meanwhile, The Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ -has maintained that Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company of Dubai will print the ballot papers for the August 11, 2016 General Election.

The ECZ says there has never been any material presented before it to warrant the cancellation of the contract awarded to Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing Company.

ECZ Chairperson Esau Chuulu says the Dubai Printing Firm best fulfilled the technical specifications of the tender dossier and best responded to the pre-established evaluation criteria.

Justice Chuulu says the Zambia Public Procurement Authority -ZPPA- did not find anything wrong with the procurement process for printing of ballot papers.

He was speaking during the Electoral stakeholders’ meeting in Lusaka.

And Justice Chuulu said the commission will sponsor political parties’ agents to Dubai to witness the printing, packaging and dispatching of ballot papers.

He said the political parties’ agents will also witness the landing of ballot papers in Zambia and verify them prior to distribution to district and polling stations country wide.

Meanwhile Justice Chuulu said the 2011 Register and 2015/2016 Provisional Register will be used to ascertain registered voters and candidates during nomination.

On the other hand no Presidential candidate has filed nomination after the opening of nominations yesterday.

ECZ Public Relations Manager Chris Akufuna said on Monday that, Thursday and Friday are the only confirmed dates when some Presidential candidates will file nominations.

Speaking in separate interviews SACCORD Executive Director Boniface Cheembe and YALI President Andrew Ntewewe said ECZ should not be rigid when dealing with candidates who had reported late for nomination due to various reasons because the commission risks looking biased when it does not allow for dialogue.

Mr Cheembe said though the commission should not be blamed, it is only reasonable it considers accommodating those failed to file in their nomination and allow them to participate in the electoral process.

“When time is not fulfilled it delays others who want to file in their nominations. Clearly this is an issue that has to be addressed because unfortunately as Africans we have a problem with time keeping therefore as SACCORD we would like to appeal to ECZ to consider accommodating those who come within 30minutes of their time elapsing so as to take in part of our culture which is that of coming late.

“It maybe helpful to perhaps be a bit more flexible and allow those who failed to file in their nomination to do so and avoid a situation were they start engage in accusations directed at the electoral body as being unfair and not flexible,” he said.

He added that ECZ should not allow the situation to question their credibility.

And Mr Ntewewe said ECZ should be firm but flexible when the situation requires them to do so especially that the country will be holding elections under a new constitution.

He said the country’s electoral body has been praised as being the best in the region hence the sport light will be once more on them as stakeholders in the region would want to learn something from them.

He said it is incumbent on the ECZ to ensure that they exhibit high levels of professionalism and ensure that the institution is seen to be independent.

He said it is only fair that if some candidates who are delayed due to various reasons are attended to by polling agents if they are still at the civic.

He said polling stations usually don’t close while voters are still in a queue waiting to vote hence the same should be extended to candidates.

The duo however called on political parties to put their houses in order saying the same behavior can be extended to public offices when elected.

Yesterday a number of Mayoral candidates from FDD and MMD failed to file their nominations after arriving late at the various civic centers something that led to FDD leader Edith Nawakwi storming the ECZ offices at 18hours were she engaged into a verbal spat with ECZ Chairperson Esau Chulu.