The Attorney General Abyudi Shonga has clarified that the injunction conditions granted by the High Court in favour of his office did not stop or prevent the releasing of results by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

The Attorney General disclosed in a Press statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today that the ECZ will continue releasing election results diligently and steadily when and after the results have been verified by the Commission.

Mr. Shonga stated that after discussions between the parties cited in the court action, it was agreed that the parties should enter into a consent order whose terms are that, the Private media shall abide by the provisions of the Electoral Code of Conduct.

He said the private media agreed not to publish or air speculative results but only announce or publish those results that have been officially announced and verified by the Electoral Commission of Zambia, either through the Chairperson of the Commission or through Electoral Commission Returning officers at polling stations.

The Attorney General further reminded all State media bodies that the Electoral Code of Conduct also applies to them and that they should ensure that they abide to these regulations and provisions of the law as the results are being announced..

Mr. Shonga also called on all Zambians across the country on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity as the results of the just ended tripartite elections are announced by the ECZ.

He also advised political party leaders participating in this year’s elections to ensure that their members exercise patience during this process.

ZANIS

The opposition Patriotic Front has scooped the seat with 8,435 votes against his closest rival MMD’s Bradford Machila with 6,292 votes.

Returning Officer Judith Tembo announced, today, that PF candidate Obvious Mwaliteta has become the duly elected Member of Parliament for Kafue Constituency.

UPND’s Beyani Choolwe was third in the race with 4,164 votes, followed by UNIP’s Beatrice Moonga who polled 2,318,Independent candidate Miriam Chitalu got 2,295 and her counterpart Committee Njase polled 809 while ADD’s Paul Kawanambulu only managed to poll 153 votes.

The total number of people who voted during the tripartite elections were 25,031 and the rejected ballot papers were 535.

For Presidential results the Returning Officer failed to announce the total results as their computer system jammed hence could not make any print outs.

Before the counting of votes was completed PF’s Micheal Sata was leading in the 38 out of the 50 polling stations with 6,491 and was closely being followed by President Rupiah Banda with 5,604.

UPND’s Hakainde Hichilema trailed in the third position with 4, 265 votes, UNIP’s Tilenji Kaunda polled 185 votes followed by Elias Chipimo from NAREP with 56 votes and ADD’s Charles Milupi got 49 votes while NMP’s Ngandu Magande polled 39 votes.

FDD’s Edith Nawakwi polled 33 votes, Godfrey Miyanda from Heritage Party got 26 votes while ZED’s Fredrick Mutesa polled 14 votes out of the 38 out of the 50 polling stations in Chilanga Constituency.

And the MMD managed to scoop four wards out of the total 11 in Kafue Constituency which include Malundu Ward, Mungu,Matanda and Chisankane wards.

PF has gotten five wards which include Kasenje,Shabusale,Kafue, Kambala and Chiawa wards while UPND only got the Chikupi seat and UNIP also managed to scoop only Longolongo ward out of the 11 wards in the constituency.

There was jubilation at Kafue Civic Centre by more than 100 PF cadres who waited until their candidate Obvious Mwaliteta was declared winner for the Kafue seat at 03:26hrs.

And United Party for National Development candidate Ambose Lufuma has scooped the Kabompo west seat defeating his closest rival from the ruling MMD Daniel Kalenga.

Returning officer Joyce Musachi declared the election results in favour of Mr. Lufuma as the winner with 4 869 votes while the MMD candidate was second with 4 469 votes.

PF Candidate Joy Chililo got 884 while 216 votes were rejected out of 10 138 votes casted in a free and violent free atmosphere.

And President Rupiah Banda is leading in Kabompo west constituency with 5 258 followed by the UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema with 3602 while Mr Michael Sata is third with 885 votes respectively.

Mrs Muisachi said FDD Edith Nawakwi had 18, Heritage Party President General Miyanda polled 20, and Narep Elias Chipimo Jr. got 31 votes.

Others are ADD Charles Milupi who got 13, Tilyenji Kaunda got 29 NMP’s Ngandu Magande amassed 14 votes.

ZANIS

The MMD has advised its members to remain calm and not listen to unofficial election results being released.

MMD National Secretary, Major Richard Kachingwe has also noted that the voting pattern in this year’s elections is similar to that of 2006 and 2008.

Major Kachingwe says acts of desperations have continued with some people releasing false election results.

Major Kachingwe was speaking in an interview with ZNBC News in Lusaka on Thursday.

He says all Zambians especially the MMD members countrywide must wait for the official results being released by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

And The MMD has denounced an article in Wednesday’s Post Newspaper suggesting that Patriotic Front-PF Leader Michael Sata is headed for victory.

MMD Chairman for Elections Gabriel Namulambe says the lead story in Post Newspaper is fake and highly misleading.

Mr. Namulambe says the Electoral Commission of ZAMBIA-ECZ is still receiving results at its results center and verifying them before the official announcement.

Mr. Namulambe who has retained his seat as Mpongwe parliamentarian, has advised Zambian’s not to be misled by anyone but to rely on official results been announced by the ECZ.

[pullquote]MMD National Secretary, Major Richard Kachingwe has also noted that the voting pattern in this year’s elections is similar to that of 2006 and 2008.[/pullquote]

And the Electoral Commission of Zambia on Wednesday shut down the results’ component on its website, following queries that presidential results in 133 constituencies have been announced and declared.

ECZ Chairperson Justice Irene Mambilima dispelled the information as incorrect, adding that the commission will get to the root cause of the matter.

ZNBC

The Post Newspaper has defied the High Court injunction on Wednesday not to publish speculative stories on election results for the 2011 polls.

The paper has carried another Headline, speculating that Patriotic Front leader Michael “SATA LEADING WITH 59%” quoting party Secretary General Wynter Kabimba.

This is despite an injuction restraining the paper and two other private television stations from publishing elections results before they are announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

The Newspaper has carried another article “Sata headed for a win if polls are not rigged”, which quotes a Mr Sishuwa.

It has further carried another article accusing the Electoral Commission of Zambia of employing calculated malpractices to favour incumbent president Rupiah Banda, entitled “ECZ is using delaying tactics to secure victory for MMD” which quotes the Alliance for Democracy and Development leader Charles Milupi.

It has further speculated and published another article that the “ECZ website puts Sata in lead with 140 000 votes after counting 133 Constituencies”.

But this is contrary to ECZ Chairperson Justice Mambilima’s clarification Wednesday night that the commission’s website had been hacked into, and has since been pulled down while investigations had been instituted.

Giving the last election results update Wednesday evening, Justice Mambilima also said results from 70 Constituencies had been received out of which only 33 had been verified and validly announced.

Justice Mambilima said the other results were still being verified and the next update would be made today Thursday.

She also said the Commission was happy that the results had begun to steadily roll in and all results would be announced within reasonable time.

In her update to the nation, Justice Mambilima announced the presidential results for only 33 constituencies, which showed Mr Sata with 265, 843 votes, standing at 46.59 percent, while President Rupiah Banda had 192, 966 votes, representing 33.82 percent.

The UPND’s Hakainde Hichilema had 93, 645 votes representing 16.41 percent.

But the Post Newspaper has gone ahead to publish speculative stories which Justice Mambilima had clarified in her briefing to the nation on ZNBC Television Wednesday evening.

And in granting the Exparte Injunction on Wednesday, High Court Judge Jane Kabuka said ordered and directed that “the defendants whether by themselves, servants, agents or whomsoever be and are hereby restrained from printing, publishing, running or carrying speculative stories on the tripartite election results held on 20th September, 2011 and subsequent dates and further from printing, or publishing or announcing election results before official results have been made by the electoral commission of Zambia.”

Judge Kabuka further ordered that “if you the within mentioned respondents whether by yourselves, servants, agent or otherwise howsoever disobey this order you shall be liable to contempt of court and shall therefore be committed to prison.”

Attorney General Abyudi Shonga filed in the petition to the restrain the Post Newspapers, Muvi Television, and Mobi International Limited from publishing speculative stories on results of the 2011 tripartite elections.

This followed the three media houses’ consistent announcement and broadcast of speculative stories.

The Three private media institutions have also been restrained from announcing election results before official results have been announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

High Court Judge Jane Kabuka has since set September 23, 2011 as date for interparte hearing.
[ZNBC]

The incumbent member of Parliament for Katuba Constituency Jonas Shakafuswa has lost his seat to Movement of Multy-Party Democracy (MMD) candidate Patrick Chikusu

Dr Chikusu was declared winner by Katuba constituency returning officer John Manganda. Dr Chikusu polled 6, 389 votes while the United Party for National Development-UPND candidate Jonas Shakafuswa polled 3, 531 votes.

Patriotic Front candidate Susana Mwelwa got 1, 622 votes while an independent candidate Derrick Chaikana got 2, 083 votes.

Speaking after the announcement of the results Dr Chikusu pledged to work with all the other candidates to develop the constituency.

And MMD Chilanga parliamentary candidate Keith Mukata has scooped the seat with 7 ,015 votes beating his nearest rival Captain Cosmas Moono of the UPND who polled 4,715 votes.

Returning Officer Wilbroad Bwalya who announced the results at about 16:30 hours Wednesday afternoon declared Mr.Mukata as the duly elected Member of Parliament for Chilanga Constituency.

Patriotic Front’s George Chumbwe came in the third position with 4,438 votes; Violet Simwanza of ADD got 118 votes while Joseph Mushika of the National Restoration Party managed to get 18 votes.

Independent, Priscilla Kamanga only got 28 votes while National Movement for Progress’ James Mapusu got 39 votes.

The Chilanga constituency had more than 10 thousand registered voters.

ZNBC

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson Justice Ireen Mambilima has described as a myth allegations that the ECZ had magic pens at the polling stations whose ink purportedly fades after a voter has marked the ballot paper or the mark shifts from one candidate’s slot to another.

She said such a thing does not happen and is merely a myth.

Justice Mambilima has since appealed for calm, patience and peace among stakeholders in particular and Zambians in general as election results pour into the elections results centre.

And Justice Mambilima has dismissed allegations of pre-marked ballot papers saying the Commission had not come across such papers.

“All ballot papers in this election were from the Electoral Commission of Zambia and all had serial numbers with complete audit trial.

She however explained that the Commission has established that its posters that exemplify what the ballot paper will look like are the ones being confused for actual ballot papers.

Meanwhile ECZ has regretted violent disturbances that took place at Nakatindi polling station in Kanyama and Matero constituencies in Lusaka.

ECZ Chairperson, Irene Mambilima said as a result of the disturbances, the Nakatindi polling station and all its polling materials were completely destroyed buy irate people in the area.

ZANIS reports that Justice Mambilima said during a briefing at the election results centre at Mulungushi International Conference Centre this afternoon that the disturbances were caused mainly by the late opening of the polling station.

She said District Electoral Officers went against the ECZ’s instruction that all poll staff should spend nights at their respective polling stations for timely opening.

She further said the concerned poll staff, for reasons best known to themselves only reported on the morning of the election day thereby delaying the opening of the polling station.

“Also, there was failure by these officers to check their inventory for the status resulting in time being wasted looking for shortfalls. The Commission on its part ensured that all the materials were timely delivered to the various districts,” she explained.

Justice Mambilima said it was therefore disappointing and inexcusable that the concerned officers exhibited high levels of lack of seriousness and irresponsibility to an important national event such as an election.

She said the Commission will require explanations from those concerned.

And Justice Mambilima has disclosed that voting in three polling stations in Lukulu West constituency, which were delayed, started at 06:00 hours this morning and was to close at 18:00 hours this evening.

She said the delay to conduct elections in the three polling stations was caused by overzealous political party cadres that prevented the Zambia Air Force helicopter from airlifting election materials to the polling stations.

“As a result land transport had to be used to transport the materials at night with a lot of difficulties,” she said.

ZANIS

The Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) presidential candidate in the 2011 tripartite elections Rupiah Banda has won in 10 out of the 22 constituencies whose election results had been announced by the Electoral Commission (ECZ) by 18:00 hours on Wednesday.

And Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has won nine of the 22 constituencies with a relatively huge margin especially in the Copperbelt Province urban constituencies and in Luapula Province.

Meanwhile, United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate, Hakainde Hichilema won in three of the 22 constituencies that have already been announced.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Banda has won in Malambo (11,291), Katuba (7,899), Chadiza (8,862), Serenje (4,851), Nakonde (11,376), Mpongwe (9,053), Kabompo West (5,258), Rufunsa (6,614), Feira (3,843) and Chavuma (6,042) while Mr. Sata got Kankoyo (9,642), Kantanshi (15,280), Roan (12,950), Nkana (20,391), Wusakili (20,768), Nchanga (21,427), Kamfinsa (14,730) in the Copperbelt Province, Mwense (10,271) in Luapula Province and Bwacha (10,317) in Central Province.

The UPND candidate Hakainde Hichilema had by press time won in his traditional stronghold Southern Province and in Nangoma in Central Province.

In Monze Central, Mr. Hichilema got 21,373 votes while in Itezhi Tezhi constituency he garnered 7,520 and won in Nangoma in Central Province with 5,860.

In all these constituencies, National Restoration Party (NAREP) leader, Elias Chipimo Junior, Heritage Party’s (HP) Godfrey Miyanda, Forum for Democracy and Development’s (FDD) leader Edith Nawakwi and United National Independence Party’s (UNIP) Tilyenji Kaunda got a paltry votes.

National Movement for Progress (NMP) leader Ng’andu Magande, Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED) leader Fredrick Mutesa and Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) leader, Charles Milupi also terribly lost in these constituencies.

Results from many other constituencies have continued to pour into the ECZ’s election results centre at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.

Meanwhile, representatives of political parties, civil society organisations, the church, local election monitors and international election observers have remained calm but eager to hear results from all parts of the country.

And Presidential results for Nakonde district in Northern Province in the just – ended September 20 tripartite elections have been officially announced at the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) main results centre at Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

Movement for Multiparty Democracy’(MMD) ‘s incumbent President Rupiah Banda was leading with 11, 378 votes followed by Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front who got 9,363.

ZANIS reports that Hichilema Hakainde of UPND got 433 votes, Chipimo Elias of National Restoration Party (NAREP) 137, United National Independence Party (UNIP) Tilyenji Kaunda 114, and Milupi Charles of Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) 59 votes.

Magande Ngandu of NMP 53, Nawakwi Edith of FDD 31, Mutesa Frederick of ZED 22 and Miyanda Godfrey of Heritage Party managed only 17 votes.

Earlier, Nakonde District Returning Officer Titus Walima announced the results at 12:18 this afternoon at the totaling centre held at Nakonde civic centre.

Meanwhile, the MMD has won 9 wards out of a total of 13 wards in the Nakonde constituency.

The PF has got 4 wards from the MMD in Nakonde central, Isunda, Chiwanza and Old Fife.

The PF has since conceded defeat in Nakonde constituency in the just ended elections.

ZANIS

ZANIS