Movement for multi party democracy MMD Lusaka province chairman William Banda is reported to have been beaten last night by unknown people.

According to information obtained, Mr. Banda is said to have gone to Chibolya Basic School to harass policemen who were manning the school.

Mr.Banda is said to have insulted the policemen that there were not doing their job in protecting the party in government.

As his team of party cadres were driving away, some unknown people dragged Mr. Banda out of the car and beat him.

It was at that point that Mr. Banda fired three gun shots, making his attackers scampering in all direction leaving the restless MMD Lusaka province chairman screening for help.

A few hours ago, Mr. William Banda was said to be admitted to the University teaching Hospital.

Some Police officers confirmed to QFM News on the incident.

And Deputy Commissioner of police Auxenxio Mbewe was last evening stoned by unruly MMD cadres as he led a unit of riot police to rescue electoral officers that were caught in the violence in John Leing.

Mbewe who spoke to journalists immediately after the rescue operation said the riotous behaviour is being spearheaded by young men who he said do not have anything to do.

he discosed that he was stoned on his forehead as well as his left leg as his unit apprehended 10 of the riotous.

he said his unit was reinforcing and heading back to John Leing to try and contain the situation in the area where tires are being burnt on the roads as youths continue to ran amok.

The Police Commissioner stated that it is only the Lusaka that is experiencing sporadic of violence.

QFM

Counting of votes in the 2011 Presidential, Parliamentary and Local government elections started last night at Nakatindi hall in Lusaka.

Counting of votes is currently going on at Nakatindi hall for Lusaka central, Kanyama and Kabwata constituencies respectively.

ZANIS reports that ballot papers in the company of election monitors, agents and police were being transported to Nakatindi hall a totalling centre for Lusaka.

However, results are yet to be declared by the Returning Officer appointed by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

People are gathered at the hall anxiously waiting for the results to be declared.

Ten political parties are in the presidential race in this year’s tripartite elections among them, the MMD, PF, UPND, NAREP, FDD, HP, ZED ADD and NMP.

Meanwhile, suspected PF cadres beat up Mandevu constituency Returning Officer Morgan Kasale for allegedly transporting ballot boxes without the company of election monitors.

Mr Kasale who was driving a Mitsubishi Pajero registration number ABT 5692 arrived at Nakatindi hall at about 06:45 hours and upon arrival PF cadres questioned him why he was alone without the escort of election monitors and political party agents.

This prompted the PF cadres to manhandle and beat him up but quick action by the police saved him from further beatings.

He has however been taken to hospital for medical treatment.

Earlier, PF Mandevu aspiring candidate Jean Kapata in an interview with ZANIS condemned the unprofessional manner Mr Kasale conducted himself.

She also expressed confidence that she would retain Mandevu parliamentary seat.

Meanwhile, The Zambia Police have arrested ten (10) suspected people in Lusaka’s John Laing compound for violence and riotous behaviour.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Auxencia Mbewe said the riots were triggered after the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) was accused of taking long to take election material at John Laing basic school polling station.

Mr. Mbewe told journalists in an interview at Lusaka’s Nakatindi hall Tuesday evening that the police managed to apprehend the culprits after deploying more officers to the area.

ZANIS reports that he said the situation was bad as the arrested rioters pelted stones at the school’s roof top and the election officers.

Mr. Mbewe said the Zambia Police has not yet probed the matter but would quickly do so.

He said Police would ensure that perpetrators of violence are brought to book as soon as possible.

The Police Deputy Commissioner observed that Lusaka is the only ward that has so far recorded violent and riotous behaviour.

He described the situation in other parts of the country as calm unlike the scenario in some parts of Lusaka.

ZANIS

-Two polling stations in Kabwe central constituency in Central Province will close after midnight tonight because they opened late.

A check by ZANIS at about 22:30hrs at Waya A in Katondo compound and Hellen Kaunda in Kasanda Mine compound respectively, found Presiding Officers and polling assistants attending to voters.

At Hellen Kaunda long queues could still be found at around 20hrs.

The station delayed to open because ballot papers were not delivered in time forcing voters to cause confusion which led to breaking of a ballot box and four covers.

Presiding Officer Judith Kaluba told ZANIS that her station will close at 00:24 to compensate for the lost time.

However, the situation was normalised after police moved in quickly to control the people who were riled by delayed ballot boxes.

At Waya A in Katondo compound, Presiding Officer Keren Chisenga said the station will also close after midnight.

ZANIS

The Zambia Police Service has arrested five people in Kanyama in connection with the confusion that reigned in the area today.

Police Spokesperson Ndandula Siamana said the five were arrested after some unnamed people stoned and set ablaze two vehicles following speculations that there were some pre-marked ballot boxes in one of the vehicles.

Ms. Siamana told ZANIS in a telephone interview in Lusaka today that five have since been charged with conduct likely to cause breach of peace and malicious damage.

The Police Spokesperson said there was also minor confusion in Kabwe which was also caused by delayed opening of voting resulting in the smashing of the vehicle belonging to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

Meanwhile, peace has returned to some parts of Lusaka and Kabwe were confusion reigned due to delayed opening of the electoral process at selected poling centres in Lilanda, of Matero constituency, and Kalingalinga in Munali constituency.

Ms. Ndandula said peace and order was restored and voting had continued to go on normally.

She said police was on the ground and will continue to keep eye on the situation and warned all trouble makers of stern action.

Ms. Ndandula said the police will continue to undertake patrols across the country during this period as the public awaits election results.

She also advised the public against taking the law in their hands but follow laid down procedure as stipulated in the law.

She further warned that police will not entertain any lawlessness from members of the public during this period.

A riot erupted in Kanyama after some people claimed they found a man carrying pre-marked ballot papers for national elections.

Late opening of voting is said to have caused confusion in Lilanda and Kalingalinga compounds in Matero and Munali constituencies respectively.

ZANIS

Calm has been restored at Lilanda Basic School in Matero Constituency following confusion that rocked the polling centres at the School this morning.

Confusion ensued around 10:00 hours after word went round that some election materials were not delivered on time and later a light truck suspected to have carried election materials arrived at the school.

This prompted voters to conduct a search and in the process they removed the materials in question and set them ablaze and stoned some vehicles found at the premises.

A check by a ZANIS crew at the school this afternoon found tight security while voting was going on smoothly.

Police Officers in full riot gear were found patrolling the place amid some fears by voters who were not comfortable with the presence of the horses and tear-gas canisters.

Zambia Red Cross Society Officers were also on hand to provide first-aid services to casualties.

Society Secretary General (SG) Charles Mushitu in an interview with ZANIS disclosed that about 50 casualties have so far been attended to in Lusaka.

Mr. Mushitu expressed fears that the number of people being injured would rise, if violence related incidences occurred during voting period.

He further disclosed that his organisation had withdrawn personnel from Nakatindi polling centre in Lusaka’s Kanyama constituency due to increasing levels of violence in the area.

He said the Society has since informed the Electoral Commission of Zambia on the issue adding that it would only send staff when the situation normalised.

“As ZRSC, we have treated 50 casualties that have been injured as a result of violence throughout Lusaka. Our fear is that this number might increase if violence continues during this voting period.

So far, we have withdrawn our staff at Nakatindi polling centre in Kanyama and we have informed ECZ on the matter,” Mr. Mushitu said.

He added that the Society trained 10,000 volunteers to provide humanitarian services across the country.

Meanwhile, Presiding Officers talked at the affected centres described the voting process after the confusion as peaceful.

Fidelis Halwiindi regretted the violence but was quick to point out that some voters who fled the area had started returning to cast their votes.

Mr. Halwiindi hoped that the voter turn-out would rise before the official close of the voting period at 18:00 hours this evening.

Election Monitor from the Civil Society Election Coalitions (CSEC)- 2011 Bruno Mwiinga also expressed concern that voting which started on a peaceful note would be disrupted in that manner.

Mr. Mwiinga said it was not good to resort to violence as a way of airing grievances but urged Zambians to use the established channels of communication when aggrieved.

[pullquote]The polling station had 1,827 total registered of which 620 eligible voters had cast their votes by 15:00 hours local time.[/pullquote]

He further said it is good that violence was quelled as it had the potential to culminate into voter-apathy at Lilanda Basic School.

At Chitukuko polling station in Kanyama Constituency voting was going on smoothly and peaceful.

The polling station had 1,827 total registered of which 620 eligible voters had cast their votes by 15:00 hours local time.

Presiding Officer Warren Mulambwa said the turn-out was dull in the morning but eventually improved in the afternoon.

Votes in some polling stations began at 06 hours while in some centres the exercise delayed. Polling is expected to officially close at 18 hours Zambian time.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has since expressed disappointment at the delay of the electoral process in some centres and has assured that the lost time would be compensated.

ZANIS

Patriotic Front (PF) members delayed by eleven minutes the voting process at Gondar when they stormed the polling station and demanded that the voters at the polling station should not use pens provided by the Electorate Commission of Zambia (ECZ). The cadres insisted that voters use their own pens for voting.

Meanwhile, voting has started on a good note with most polling stations recording a high turnout in Chipata district in Eastern Province.

A check by ZANIS found people had started queuing up as early as 05 hours at Chipata Day, Mutilansembe, Nadalitsika and Navutika market polling stations.

15 people had already cast their vote at Omelo Mumba and 13 at Mulungushi polling stations at Housing polling district in Kapata ward in Chipata Central constituency by 06:30 this morning.

And 92 people had already voted at Luangwa house polling station by 07:12 hours this morning while 67 people had cast their vote by 07:30 at Lutembwe Basic School polling station of Kanjala ward in Chipata Central Constituency.

Presiding Officer Robby Musendo told ZANIS that people started queuing up as early as 05 hours to cast their votes.

In Lundazi, Local government elections in Musuzi ward of Lundazi Central constituency have been postponed following an normally with only three out of the six aspirants appearing on the ballot papers.

District Electoral Officer Sydney Muwowo said Derrick Zimba of the Patriotic Front (PF), Elizabeth Mtonga of the National Movement Party (NMP) and Happy Chirwa of the United Party for National Development (UPND) are not appearing on the ballot papers.

He noted that those appearing are Lanwell Mkandawire, Independent, Francis Phiri of the United National Independence Party and Amon Tembo from the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD).

He disclosed that he consulted the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) who advised that the election be postponed.

The ECZ has also postponed Wachitangachi ward local government election in Lumezi Constituency saying a wrong picture was placed on Patrotic Front (PF) candidate Roy Mutonga.

Others contesting the Wachitangachi ward seat are Stephen Mwale of the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), Tumbiko Nyirongo of the MMD and Kelvin Zimba of the United Party for National Development ( UPND).

ZANIS

Multitudes of people in Lusaka today turned out in huge numbers to cast their votes to elect a President, Members of Parliament (MP) and local government representatives that will govern Zambia in the next five years.

At Woodlands Extension Polling Station, which has three streams of at least 500 registered voters in each queue, voting started 06:09 hours.

The queues started forming as early as 04:05 hours at Woodlands Extension and Bedrock polling stations which are housed at Woodlands ‘B’ Basic School.

Woodlands Extension Polling station Presiding Officer, Moyda Chanda, told ZANIS that by the time the polling station opened, long queues had already formed.

Mrs. Chanda described the turnout was overwhelming adding that by 09:00 hours, over 200 people had already cast their votes.

And Bedrock Polling Station Presiding Officer, McLean Mubanga, said the polling station opened at 06:11 hours and described the turn out as very impressive.

He said over 150 people had already voted out of a total of 1,546 registered voters at Bedrock polling station.

Meanwhile, a check by ZANIS at Chilenje South Middle Basic School and Chimanga polling stations revealed that long queues had formed even before the polling stations opened at 06:00hours.

Chilenje Middle Basic School polling station has 1,519 registered voters while Chimanga polling station has 1,362 registered voters.

In all these polling stations, the situation was calm while police officers remained present and vigil.

Out of the 13 million Zambians, slightly over five million are eligible to vote in this year’s elections.

This year’s elections have attracted 10 political parties fielding presidential candidates, the highest number of candidates at this level in the history of Zambia.

Those battling it out at presidential level include the incumbent Rupiah Banda standing on the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) ticket, Michael Sata of the opposition Patriotic Front (PF), Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) and Godfrey Miyanda sponsored by the Heritage Party (HP).

Others are Elias Chipimo Junior of the National Restoration Party (NAREP), the Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED) is fielding Fredrick Mutesa, while Ng’andu Magande is standing on the National Movement for Progress (NMP) ticket and Charles Milupi of the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD).

The rest are Edith Nawakwi, who is the only woman in the presidential contest, standing on the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) ticket while the oldest political party in the country, the United National Independence Party (UNIP) has fielded Tilyenji Kaunda, the son of first President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda.

ZANIS