THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has said that lingering at polling stations after a voter has cast his or her vote is an electoral offence, which will not be condoned in the tripartite elections on September 20.

Director of elections Priscilla Isaac said in an interview on yesterday that remaining at polling stations is not allowed, and that voters will leave polling stations immediately after voting or risk being arrested.

“Once you cast your vote, you leave. So, no one will be allowed within 400 metres of any polling station,” she said.

Ms Isaac was reacting to a story in The Post newspaper edition of September 18 which Mr Sata reportedly urged Zambians to defend their votes tomorrow by remaining at polling stations after casting their votes.

In the story, Mr Sata called on voters to be alert and physically inspect any suspicious-looking people at polling stations, a purely police function.

According to PF president Michael Sata, while speaking on a QFM special programme on Saturday night, the Government agencies, including the Electoral Commission of Zambia are working in collusion with the MMD to rig elections on Tuesday. He called on his supporters go out to vote early, remain at polling booths and wait for instructions from Patriotic Front command centres on how to deal with any attempts to subvert the will of the people.

[pullquote]“We cannot tell you now. The issue is that people must go out early and then we shall tell them what to do. But I must warn all those wanting to rig the poll that they will have to prepare for the consequences of such acts,” Mr Sata said.[/pullquote]

Mr Sata said the party has all the information on the plans to rig the Tuesday poll but adequate measures were in place to defeat the evil being coordinated by self-confessed vote rigger Vernon Mwaanga.

“We cannot tell you now. The issue is that people must go out early and then we shall tell them what to do. But I must warn all those wanting to rig the poll that they will have to prepare for the consequences of such acts,” Mr Sata said.

Mr Sata further revealed that the PF established itself with necessary vote monitoring mechanisms including parallel vote tabulation and so will know the actual result in good time and thus no one will fool them into accepting a rigged poll this time around.

“All (government) agencies including the ECZ are working as wings of the MMD but people must go out and vote early and follow what the party leadership will tell from time to time,” he said.

Electoral Commission of Zambia ( ECZ ) spokesperson Chris Akufuna says the wearing of party regalia when going to vote on Tuesday will not be entertained.

Mr Akufuna said that contrary to suggestions by some political parties contesting Tuesday’s poll for members not to leave their respective polling stations after voting , all voters will be expected to leave the polling stations after voting.

He advised at all the voters to heed to this regulation.

He also reminded voters that it is against the Electoral Code of Conduct for voters to remain at the poling station after casting their votes.

He said according to section 59, subsection 6(F) of the Electoral Act, a voter must without delay leave the polling station after voting.

Mr Akufuna said the Commission has since given instructions District Electoral Officers to ensure that there are no political party activities and no voters who have already voted to remain within 400 metres of the polling station.

However, the opposition parties such as the Patriotic Front have accused the Electoral Commission of Zambia are working in collusion with the MMD to rig elections on Tuesday but people must go out to vote early, remain at polling booths and wait for instructions from Patriotic Front command centres on how to deal with any attempts to subvert the will of the people.

On a special QFM special programme on Saturday night, the PF leader Michael Sata said his party has all the information on the plans to rig the Tuesday poll but adequate measures were in place to defeat the evil being coordinated by self-confessed vote rigger Vernon Mwaanga.

“We cannot tell you now. The issue is that people must go out early and then we shall tell them what to do. But I must warn all those wanting to rig the poll that they will have to prepare for the consequences of such acts,” Mr Sata said.

The PF has established itself with necessary vote monitoring mechanisms including parallel vote tabulation and so will know the actual result in good time and thus no one will fool them into accepting a rigged poll this time around.

“All (government) agencies including the ECZ are working as wings of the MMD but people must go out and vote early and follow what the party leadership will tell from time to time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Akufuna says voters are free to use their own pens on Tuesday as long as they are not fountain pens.

Mr Akufuna stated that fountains pens will not be allowed adding that only ordinary ball point pens will be permitted to mark the ballot papers

He said those voters who will feel not comfortable to use pens which will be provided by the ECZ are free to use Ball pens and not any other pen.

ZANIS

With just a day before the 2011 presidential, parliamentary and local government elections are held in Zambia, President Rupiah Banda has once again called on Zambians to strictly observe the laws of the land toward peaceful polls.

In his radio and television address to the nation on the tripartite elections this evening, President Banda said those that will go against the law will be dealt with accordingly.

He said all political candidates and their cadres must abide by the law concerning the close of the campaign period this morning at 06:00 hours.

“Anybody caught campaigning will face prosecution. Even worse, candidates can be struck off the electoral process and their nominations cancelled. The risks are too high, so I urge all to observe the 48-hour ban on campaigning,” he warned.

He said he was aware that in this period, people become impatient and influenced by rumours and stories.

President Banda has therefore urged Zambians to be patient on any premature celebrations or commiserations until after the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) officially announced the final results.

“To those who may be contemplating any illegal acts or intimidation or even worse—physical violence, I have this message for you; I have ordered the police to arrest and prosecute all those who offend. Expect no mercy, expect no favour, expect only the full force of the law to come down on you,” he said.

Mr. Banda said the Zambian people were proud of the country’s democracy and its peace and stability.

He pointed out that for this reason, he would not allow anybody to smear the good reputation of Zambia in the remaining time.

“The world is watching us, election observers are amongst us. Journalists will be reporting on how we conduct ourselves. Let us not disappoint them as violence has no place in a democracy,” he said.

[pullquote]“To those who may be contemplating any illegal acts or intimidation or even worse—physical violence, I have this message for you; I have ordered the police to arrest and prosecute all those who offend. Expect no mercy, expect no favour, expect only the full force of the law to come down on you,” he said.[/pullquote]

The President has also appealed to Zambians to exhibit their historical hospitability, respect for the law and the democratic process.

“Show them that we are mature enough to accept the official results, whatever they may be,” he said.

President Banda further noted that the last eight weeks since the campaign period was declared, candidates made their case to convince voters to vote for them.

He said it was now up to Zambians to weigh up all the candidates and cast their vote accordingly.

He said Zambians were now able to ask themselves which candidates were suitable for their wards, constituencies and State House and which party had the best policies for Zambia.

“Only you can answer those questions. On 20th September, we all have just one vote. Democracy gives each person the same status. A manager and his workers all have just one vote each. A chief and a shepherd have just one vote each. And I, as President, have a single vote. On election day, we are all equal,” he emphasized.

The President has since urged Zambians to take full advantage of the electoral process that normally occurs every five years and decide which political party should form the next government.

He said the casting of votes should however be done in the spirit of brotherly love and peace.

“But democracy only works when people participate,” he said.

President Banda said he decided to make Tuesday, September 20th a national holiday in order to increase the participation of people in the process.

“Once you have cast your vote, enjoy the rest of the day off peacefully. Those who do not vote do not have the right to complain,” he said adding that this election will see the most ever votes in Zambia’s history.

On Tuesday, September 20th, Zambians countrywide will cast their votes from 06:00 hours in the morning to 18:00 hours in the evening.

Out of the 13 million Zambians, slightly over 5 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 presidential candidates 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 lady in the presidential contest, is standing on the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) while the oldest political party in the country, the United National Independence Party (UNIP) has fielded Tilyenji Kaunda, a son of first President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda.

ZANIS

By C.Chibomba

On 20th September 2011 the people of the Republic of Zambia will be going to the polls to cast their vote on who should have the right to rule them for the next 5 years.

The Contenders

10 political parties have put forward presidential candidates. Several more parties chose to sit out these elections, having read the landscape and seeing the writing on the wall which, to all intents and purposes, gave them the reason to believe that it was best to abstain.

Most pundits, including the majority of pollsters, have put their money on Rupiah Banda to take the day.Banda is the current President and is the candidate for the ruling party, the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD)He has tirelessly criss-crossed the country taking the message of development and more development if re-elected. It is evident that his message has been well received judging from the huge crowds seen at his campaign rallies. The opinion polls have consistently favoured Banda with outcomes of between 42 and 48%. His chances of retaining the presidency have not diminished.

Michael Sata is the candidate put forward by the largest opposition party, the Patriotic Front (PF). He is performing reasonably in the opinion polls, garnering results of between 30 and 38%. Sata stood the best chance of ousting Banda from the presidency when his party sat in a political pact with the United Party for National Development (UPND) for a period of about three years. The Pact adopted a common strategy to build a strong force to fight the ruling party at the polls. In due time, the Pack showed signs of wooing voters to its side. Believing that the Pact was headed for election victory, some elements in Sata’s Patriotic Front became greedy and contrived to ‘allocate’ themselves positions in a perceived future Government. This enraged their partners in the Pact from the UPND and thus the Pact crumbled and diminished Sata’s chances of ascending to the presidency. Sata is now desperately trying to pick the pieces but has a hard task to dislodge Banda.

The third largest party in the country is the United Party for National Development (UPND) and its presidential candidate is Hakainde Hichilema. As the junior partner in the erstwhile Pact, the best he had hoped for was as Vice President to Sata. With the collapse of the Pact, Hakainde has heaved himself up as a possible contender to the highest office. Unfortunately for him, his party is parochial and has support only in one part of the country. It is a massive task for him to penetrate the rest of the country and there is little hope that he can be a threat to either Banda or Sata. The opinion polls give him a lowly 13% of the vote. His best chance would be to go into alliance with one of the larger parties, particularly the MMD who are the likely winners this year.

Then there are the other seven parties. What is most significant about these parties are their fancy names. They are basically also-runs with no real hope of upsetting the order of things. For the benefit of a complete picture, these other parties in contention are:

The Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD). It is the only party whose candidate is female, Edith Nawakwi. Nawakwi was once a Minister of Finance whose appeal has been to women to come out in numbers to vote for her. This is a long shot because, while women voters are in the majority, it is unlikely that the will deliberately vote for her simply because she is a woman. Party leaning normally holds sway when voting.

The National Movement for Progress (NMP). This is a new party hardly a year old formed by Ng’andu Magande. He also once served as a Minister of Finance and only formed his party after being hounded out of the ruling party when he fell out with the elite. His chances of success at the polls are next to nil.

The Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD). Its president is Charles Milupi who vacated his seat in Parliament as an independent member to form his party just over a year ago. He successfully defended his seat in a by-election and came back to Parliament as party president, the only member representing his party. His popularity is limited to his constituency and is unknown elsewhere in the country. He has no chance of success in the presidential race.

The Heritage Party (HP). Godfrey Miyanda a former soldier, is the head of this party and its presidential candidate. Miyanda once served as the country’s Vice President and broke away from the MMD to form the Heritage Party hoping to ride on the fact that 90% percent of the population in Zambia is Christian and the country has a constitution which declares it a Christian nation. Even by a long shot, none of this is likely to win Miyanda the presidency and so his campaign is largely futile.

The United National Independence Party (UNIP). This is the oldest political party in Zambia fashioned by the first president, Kenneth Kaunda. His son, Tilyenji Kaunda is now at the helm and is hoping to walk in his father’s footsteps by also becoming President. Alas, his is virtually an impossible task. UNIP collapsed in 1991 with the introduction of multi-party politics. The party went into oblivion to the extent that in the last parliament, it had only one representative in the House who, interestingly, has since defected to the ruling party. UNIP has no significant support anywhere in the country and only pride drives its leadership to keep its name afloat. Kaunda might as well not be contesting the presidency.

The Zambian for Empowerment and Development (ZED). This is one of the several parties created recently merely to congest the free democratic landscape knowing full well that there’s was a futile exercise with no hope of landing the ultimate prize. Its leader is Fred Mutesa, a University don with radical ideals which cannot appeal to a population interested mainly in having food at the table and decent schools to send their children to. Mutesa’s vision of a utopian Zambia only understood by his students at University will not win him any votes. He stands no chance.

The National Restoration Party (NAREP). This is a party formed just over a year ago, whose appeal is mainly to the youth. The leader, Elias Chipimo Junior, is the youngest presidential candidate, a rising young lawyer, whose father, Elias Chipimo, was once a prominent politician, banker and diplomat. Chipimo’s ambition is to exceed his father’s achievements and become President of Zambia and so fulfil the adage that says the youth are leaders of tomorrow. He has preached this message mainly to the youth attempting to convince them that he time for the youth to lead has come sand so they should vote for him. The reality of the situation is that even the combined votes of all the registered youth would not win him the election.

The other two parties are really not worth mentioning. At best, they are ‘one-man’ parties and do not add value the political landscape in Zambia. They are, nevertheless, good for the democratic outlook and dispensation in Zambia. There is fair play politically. Everyone is accommodated, everyone is heard and everyone is given an equal chance to participate and have their say. Only the votes to cast on 20 September 2011 will decide who will be the next President of Zambia.

It’s worth noting that Zambia’s prevalent brand of politics is very personality driven, with many of its leading politicians building cults of personality based on messages that resonate with their followers. Many of the parties have not held democratic conventions and have leaders who have been attempting to be president for the last ten years. In the case of the two largest opposition parties the PF recently held a general party convention, the first in its ten year history. But this convention was characterised by autocratic decision making from the top, with Michael Sata choosing how positions should be allocated across the board. In the past the party did not even bother to attempt to practice any real internal democracy, its leader is known for his autocratic tendencies, suspending and appointing members at will. Since Anderson Mazoka’s death, Hakainde Hichelima the new leader of the UPND has not held a party convention either. Without transparent governance mechanisms it is difficult to tell how the opposition parties could meaningfully change the political landscape as far as corruption and transparent governance is concerned. With many of the opposition parties filled with disgruntled ex-MMD members it is also difficult to say how much they would actually change the socio-economic environment for the better.

KABWATA Patriotic Front aspiring candidate Given Lubinda has advised advocates for prayers for peace to ensure that they pray for justice too because that was a precondition for peace.

“Yes pray for peace, I agree but who is praying for justice. Who praying for transparency and accountability so that the vote counts for what it is?” he asked.

He maintained that the PF will not accept a rigged election this time and so it is important those praying for peace ought to understand that peace is based on justice.

“We have to be convinced that every vote counts and it will count until the real winner is declared,” he said. “This we are taking very seriously in the Patriotic Front and we shall keep vigil over our vote until Wednesday morning when Zambia is given a dynamic, hardworking president Michael Chilufya Sata as head of state.”

And PF vice-president says the party has gone everywhere and delivered sound message of change and hope, shocking the MMD which has lived in the fools’ paradise that rural areas would not accept the PF.
[pullquote]“If you attempt to steal even a single vote from my president, from my vote, I cannot guarantee you safety in Matero. We have 80,000 vigilant monitors in that constituency and so one will be risking one’s life by attempting to do anything silly,” he said.[/pullquote]

“I have been to various areas of the country and I am returning to Mongu for the final phase of my country tours. Sata has slept in the trenches and eat with the poor. He has preached his message to the mass poor yearning for change and there is no way the thieving MMD will lie that rural areas will not vote for him,” Dr Scott told members of the press conference at Hotel intercontinental Hotel on September 17.

At the same briefing Matero PF aspiring candidate Miles Sampa said anyone seeking to subvert the will of the people by attempting to steal even a single vote will be doing so at their own peril.

“If you attempt to steal even a single vote from my president, from my vote, I cannot guarantee you safety in Matero. We have 80,000 vigilant monitors in that constituency and so one will be risking one’s life by attempting to do anything silly,” he said.

[PF Press]

Pomp and splendor characterized President Rupiah Banda’s grand finale at his rally today in Mandevu Township in Lusaka. The huge rally which was held at Kimbaguitii basic School grounds appeared to be hued in the traditional MMD blue colour as both sympathizers and cadres of the ruling party where clad in the party regalia.

Before President Banda’s delegation’s arrival , the massive crowd closed up all the roads and paths leading to the school as patriotic songs and dances were performed much to the excitement of the crowd.

Renowned musicians in the likes Daliso, the Oga family and local song bird Mampi spiced the occasion with various hits that made the crowd dance and cheer the President and his entourage especially when he drove into the school grounds.

Today’s rally is exactly the sixtieth successful rally the President has under taken across the country. In his address, Mr. Banda called on the electorate to vote for him and the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) for continued good economic policies.

“The MMD is the only party with a clear vision and direction hence the need for the people to vote for the party on Tuesday,” he said.

The President noted that there are so many developmental projects that the MMD has implemented countrywide adding that if he is re-elected,he would do more for the nation.

He disclosed that his party is the only one that has managed to field in candidates in all the 150 constituencies. Mr. Banda said that the opposition has no clear direction and vision for Zambia that is the reason why they are using the slogan “Don’t Kubeba”.

President Rupiah Banda expressed his certainty that he was going to win Tuesday’s elections. Mr. Banda said that this was because the MMD party has managed to deliver in all sectors of the economy in the country.

He said that he has constructed roads, hospitals and schools in all the parts of the country hence the need for the people to vote for him once again.
“Look at our records in Lusaka and other parts of the country, we have real projects,” Mr. Banda said.

He said that the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) is the only party with a vision and direction. “Our victory must not be taken for granted, we have worked for it and we have done that till the last hour,” he said.

And Former Vice President Enock Kavindele has called on the people of Mandevu constituency to vote for President Rupiah Banda on Tuesday next week.

Mr. Kavindele said that there was need for the people of Mandevu to vote for Mr. Banda in order for him to continue with the various developmental projects that he implemented three years ago.

He stated that Mr. Banda should be given another five year mandate owing to his good economic policies. He said that if Zambians wants the peace that the country has enjoyed since independence to continue, they should vote for the ruling MMD because it is the only party that is peaceful and has a vision.

And MMD Mandevu constituency aspiring candidate Canisius Banda called on the people of Mandevu to vote for MMD on Tuesday next week. Dr. Banda has described the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata as a recycled leader who lacks direction.

Meanwhile, Vice President George Kunda has today concluded his campaign trail for the Muchinga Parliamentary seat in Serenje district.

Mr. Kunda who is re-contesting his Muchinga seat held ten successful campaign rallies in various parts of the constituency in the last four days.

ZANIS reports from Serenje, today, that the Vice President held mammoth rallies in Kanona, Koffi Kunda, Chibale, Nchimishi and Mulembo areas among others.

Speaking at Koffi Kunda Basic School today, Mr. Kunda said the MMD is still intact and is headed for a landslide victory in Tuesday’s tripartite elections.

Mr. Kunda noted that the ruling party is focused on delivering development to all parts of the country unlike the opposition PF which is continuously hurling insults on President Banda and the MMD government.

He said Zambians deserve mature leaders such as President Banda who is concerned about the future and development of the whole country.

The Vice President has since called on the electorate to ensure that they vote for President Banda and the MMD in the forthcoming elections.

ZANIS