The Committee of Citizens has said Zambia’s Electoral Act prohibits monitors and observers to declare or disclose results of any election before the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) does so.

Executive director Gregory Chifire said regulation 15 (6) (F) of the Electoral Act was explicit as to why the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) system was illegal.

“We should emphasise that under regulation 15 (6) (F) of the Electoral Act, monitors and observers are prohibited by themselves or through their organisations to declare or disclose the result of any election before the ECZ does so.

“This provision in the Electoral Act is what makes the PVT system illegal,” Mr Chifire said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday.

He said the ECZ was the sole institution mandated by the Constitution in Article 76 and the Laws of Zambia to conduct elections and all its processes.

Mr Chifire said for the purpose of transparency and principles of holding free and fair elections, the ECZ did allow independent observers and monitors to witness the entire electoral process.

“It does not mean that these NGOs (non-governmental organisations) should usurp the constitutional powers of the ECZ by wishing to count, tabulate, collate and announce poll results using the PVT.

“Furthermore, our opposition to the use of the PVT by these NGOs is because they cannot be trusted to use this process responsibly since their partisan and hostile stance against the MMD Government is well-known and documented,” he said.

He also questioned the decision by the Department for International Development (DfiD) of the United Kingdom to engage the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to carry out the PVT system at a cost of 3.8 million Euros during this year’s elections.

Mr Chifire further questioned the decision by NDI to contract the Press Freedom Committee (PFC) of the Post and Caritas Zambia as lead institutions, which have also engaged the Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) and Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD).

He said PFC also intended to contract Transparency International Zambia to form a consortium or block that would carry out the PVT.

Mr Chifire said it was surprising that DfiD and NDI could engage PFC and Caritas Zambia as lead organisations to carry out the PVT system when the two organisations had never been known to be monitoring or observer bodies and had no relevant experience to monitor elections.

“This is the reason which has heightened our suspicions that PVT will be used for the purpose of inciting violence and anarchy,” he said.

Mr Chifire said PVT was at the centre of the post-electoral conflict and anarchy in Zimbabwe, Kenya and recently the Ivory Coast, although the proponents claimed that PVT was used successfully in Ghana and Zambia in 2008.

He said his organisation was aware that a sampling method to ascertain the integrity of election results was secretly used by the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) for a targeted audience like donors.

He said although the 2008 PVT conducted by FODEP demonstrated that election results as announced by the ECZ in Zambia were accurate, that did not stop The Post and its allies such as Citizens Forum from making their usual unfounded claims that the polls were rigged.

Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata maintained in the Post yesterday that despite the warning by President Rupiah Banda that anyone computing and tabulating results of the 2011 elections instead of the constitutionally mandated body, the ECZ, would be committing a criminal offence, he would go ahead and call for the use of the PVT system.

[ Times of Zambia ]

A couple in Luanshya is alleged to be organising marriage between its 22 year old daughter and a 29 year old man whom she doesn’t love.

Pascal Mwape and his wife Mary, are allegedly threatening to chase their daughter out of the house if she refuses to marry the said man identified as Francis of the same township.

The victim, daughter to the couple, Flaviour Mwape, told ZANIS in an interview that her mother verbally threatened to chase her out of the house on Tuesday morning should she refuse to marry the said man.

Ms. Mwape explained that she already had a boyfriend whom she loves and has been dating for over four years now.

She says he is the man she prefers to marry.

Ms. Mwape attributes her parents’ hatred for her lover to tribalism, saying her parents prefer a fellow Bemba to marry her.

But when contacted for a comment, her lover who only identified himself as Michael, based in Lusaka, confirmed that Flavor’s mother threatened him on Monday.

He added that his fiancee’s mother threatened him when she called him on her mobile saying she will not accept his lobola because Flaviour will be married off to her preferred man.

Michael explained that he wants his girlfriend to go to College first before marrying her, adding that he is disappointed with his girlfriend’s parents.

He has since appealed to relevant organisations on human and women’s rights to come on board and help him save her girlfriend from what he dubs ‘Selfish parents’ motives’ to force his girlfriend into marriage against her consent.

[ ZANIS ]

The United Party for National Development (UPND) says it is impossible for its former pact partner the Patriotic Front (PF) to win this year’s tripartite elections.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said in Lusaka on yesterday that the PF cannot win the poll, given the facts on the ground, which are stacked against the opposition party. He was reacting to PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba who said on March 16 that the PF was looking forward to winning the 2011 elections.

Mr Kakoma described PF’s hopes of having an outright victory in the 2011 elections as ‘delusional’.

“If they think they can win this time around, that is a delusion, dreaming and a serious error of judgement of events on the ground,” he said.

He said an ‘outright victory’ proclaimed by Mr Kabimba is practically impossible.

Mr Kakoma also dispelled Mr Kabimba’s allegations that UPND caused the failure of the pact and said it were people like him (Mr Kabimba) and his president Michael Sata who thought it was not necessary to unite and provide formidable opposition to the MMD.

Earlier, Mr Kabimba said UPND vice-president Richard Kapita said at a press briefing when he officially announced his party’s pullout from the pact that party members started campaigning for their president Hakainde Hichilema last year because they knew that the pact was not going to work.

“So, the reasons they have given about Mr Sata being a dictator are not genuine at all. UPND have been undermining the pact from last year, if not long before 2010, according to their own confession,” he said.

[pullquote]“They also said we in the UPND have no brains. Obviously, this was provocative and they wanted to annoy us. So, it is them who wanted the pact to die. Now that the Zambian people have descended on them, they are defending themselves and accusing us of killing the pact,” he said.[/pullquote]

Mr Kakoma said UPND was a serious and faithful pact partner and that it did all it could to ensure that the pact succeeded but the PF never took it seriously from the very beginning.

Mr Kakoma said last year, the PF wrote to UPND explaining the rules of engagement in the pact but started fielding candidates even where the working group had agreed to be represented by UPND members.

“For example, they followed us in Chilanga, Kafulafuta and others. They also advertised to field their candidates in all the constituencies and wards. This was an indication that they were not serious,” he said.

Mr Kakoma said it was clear that the PF did not have regard for UPND leaders and wondered how and why they could refer to Mr Hichilema as an “under-five” when he is a 48-year-old man with a wife and children.

“They also said we in the UPND have no brains. Obviously, this was provocative and they wanted to annoy us. So, it is them who wanted the pact to die. Now that the Zambian people have descended on them, they are defending themselves and accusing us of killing the pact,” he said.

Last week, the UPND announced it was pulling out of the pact, formed in June 2009, due to ‘irredeemable differences’.

UPND vice-president Richard Kapita said it had become clear that the pact would not work because the PF was disrespectful to the UPND which it regarded as a junior partner.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Former Kasenengwa Member of Parliament (MP), Timothy Nyirenda has urged Zambians to be wary of desperate politicians.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Chipata today, Mr Nyirenda has urged Zambians to be wary of politician such as Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) Edith Nawakwi and Colonel Panji Kaunda.

” The nation should distance themselves from the duo who he said have continued making unwarranted attacks on Presidnt Rupiah Banda without offering alternatives to the nation, ” he said .

Mr Nyirenda charged that Ms Nawakwi and Colonel Banda have failed to tick in their political careers and cannot offer anything better to the people.

He stated that Ms Nawakwi failed to inspire in her leadership skills when she was a cabinet minister in the second republic.

Mr Nyirenda wondered why Ms Nawakwi whose political party has failed to tick in Zambia is busy attacking the good leadership of President Banda and that of the MMD, in general.

“I don’t know which party is Edith Nawakwi belongs to because FDD is
finish and we don’t have it in Zambian politics.

” People should not listen to the prophets of doom like Ms Nawakwi and Col Panji who are telling people lies that this country is sluggish,” he said.

He advised Ms Nawakwi to re-join the MMD instead of eating donor funding in
the name of the FDD which he said is finished.

Mr Nyirenda also said Col Panji was desperate to surviving thereby resorting to attack the current Government.

The former parliamentarian said people are determined to see development flourishing in the country unlike outbursts from the opposition political party leaders.

He said Zambians should not be derailed by those who want to get into
power by lying.

Mr Nyirenda urged MMD members to campaign by telling the people the
developmental projects that have been undertaken by the Government.

He said Zambians must work together regardless of tribe ethnic, gender, political party to rally behind President Banda in the elections in order to enhance the development of the country.

Mr Nyirenda said Zambians must be united by discarding some politicians whose agenda was to incite people to rise against the MMD Government.

ZANIS

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Zambia ‘s revenue collection base is this year expected to exceed the 2011 budget projections due to increased taxes from the mining sector.

In its statement obtained by ZANIS today at the end of its staff mission’s visit in Zambia, the IMF observed that there will be an increased revenue from taxes from the mining sector.

The monetary fund explains in the statement that this is because there has been controversy over government’s refusal to introduce a windfall tax of the mining sector which is dependent on profits resulting from high mineral prices.

The IMF team observed that the performance of the Zambian economy continued to be good with real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2010 adjusted upwards to 7.6 per cent, boosted by the record maize harvest, a continued increase in copper and construction output and a rebound in tourism.

The team further observed that inflation declined in line with expectations in 2010, but has increased slightly since the beginning of 2011 (up to 9.0 per cent in February).

“Non-food price inflation remains in the low double digits. Net domestic financing of the government was 0.3 per cent of GDP higher than targeted at end-2010 primarily as a result of higher interest payments and additional expenditures on the census and voter registration.

” The balance of payments for 2010 experienced a record-high current account surplus of about US$600 million (3.8 per cent of GDP), with international reserves increasing to US$1.9 billion as of end-February 2011. Private sector credit has returned to pre-crisis levels in nominal terms, despite an increase in nonperforming loans and still high real lending rates,” the team reported.

The team led by George Tsibouris, said revenue collections were expected to exceed the projections in the 2011 budget, due in large part to increased taxes from the mining sector, which should provide room for additional infrastructure and pro-poor expenditures.

The team said drawing on the experience in 2010, the government will need to ensure that its maize marketing role does not hamper private sector incentives and minimizes budgetary costs.

ZANIS

The Patriotic Front has finally accepted the collapse of the UPND-PF pact and has blamed its demise on the UPND. PF Secretary General Wynter Kabimba has accused the UPND of having been undermining the political pact in the last one year.

He said PF did not form a pact with the UPND so that it gets enough votes, but that it forms a majority government as opposed to forming a minority one. Mr. KABIMBA said that PF will continue to work hard so that it wins this year’s tripartite elections.

And Mr. Kabimba has dismissed reports that PF leader Michael Sata has assured some donor countries that he will champion gay rights once voted into power.

Mr Kabimba said that in the recorded conversation, Mr. Sata is saying that Zambia has existing laws which prohibit people advocating for gay rights. He was speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka on today.

Announcing the collapse of the PACT last week, UPND Vice President RICHARD KAPITA said PF Leader MICHAEL SATA was unpredictable and cannot be trusted with the leadership of the country. Mr KAPITA said Mr. SATA had no respect for the tenets of democracy.

Meanwhile the National Restoration Party – NAREP- says the UPND and the Patriotic Front should not be given any vote during this year’s tripartite elections, because the two political parties have cheated Zambians.

NAREP National Secretary JOHN PHIRI says the two parties raised hopes of their supporters by coming together but the failure to work together has shown that some political leaders have selfish interests.

Mr. PHIRI told ZNBC News in an interview that it is now up to the Zambians to ensure that the two parties do not get any support during this year’s tripartite elections.

And the MMD in Eastern Province says the demise of the UPND PF pact is a sign that the MMD has gotten strong on the ground.

MMD Eastern Province Chairman KENNEDY ZULU told ZNBC news that despite the selfishness of the two leaders of the political parties it is also a sign that the pact which the MMD has entered with the Zambian people is bearing fruit.

ZNBC

Headman Matambo who spoke on behalf of other traditional leaders told ZANIS that the delay in installing Senior Chief Mweemba is contributing to confusion among subjects in the area.

Headman Matambo said the local people were happy with the development that Government has brought to the area such as building of schools and construction of Namafulo border post but that there is no coordination of developmental activities owing to the vacuum that the late senior Chief Mweemba left.

He added that settling of disputes, affecting locals in the area was also affected.

Two people in the same chiefdom have so far declared themselves as acting Senior Chief Mweemba and both have mounted the national flag at their homes.

The headmen in the area are also divided with one group supporting Ephraim Syatambika, while the other group is backing Lason Syasokwe.

Both have taken the matter to High the Court to seek redress over the matter.

Two weeks ago, Mr Syatambika declared that he will support the ruling Movement for Mult-party Democracy (MMD) in this year’s general elections because of the developmental activities that have been brought to the district.

[ ZANIS ]

The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has arrested the Director of Auditel Business Solutions for issuing cheques amounting to over 700 million kwacha on insufficiently funded accounts.

Yona Shanzi , 43, who is also proprietor of Office Tech Systems is alleged to have used the two Companys’ accounts to issue bounced cheques, contrary to the National Payment Systems Act.

DEC Spokesperson John Nyawali says Mr. Shanzi engaged in a business transaction with Eldorent Investment Limited and issued several cheques amounting to 773 million kwacha, which were not honoured as a result of insufficient funds.

Mr. ShanziI has been released on a 40 million kwacha bond, and further asked to provide two working sureties at managerial level.

Meanwhile, the Lusaka Magistrate court has sentenced a businessman to two years imprisonment with hard labour for various money laundering activities amounting to 131 million kwacha.

Crispin Nakuzyambo Xhumalo was sentenced after being found guilty of all the six counts of money laundering he was facing.

The counts included illegal transfer of 63 million kwacha from an account belonging to a pastor, to his personal account.

This is contained in a press statement to ZNBC News in Lusaka on yesterday.

[ ZNBC ]