UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) president, Hakainde Hichilema, has pledged to ensure that the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) completes its work by June next year if he is elected president.

Speaking on Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)-sponsored television programme Race to Plot One, Mr Hichilema said that it was important that a timeframe was set for the NCC to complete the work.

He said that the Constitution-making process was cardinal and the UPND attached great importance to the NCC but there was need to stipulate the timeframe of its existence and work.

“The NCC should close by June 2009. It should conclude the work. We have been beating about the bush on the Constitution making,” Mr Hichilema said.

He also said the UPND would offer favourbale investment incentives for investors irrespective of their countries of origin. Mr Hichilema said that it was wrong to denounce some investors on the basis of their countries of origin or race.

What was important, he said, was to offer favourable investment climate to all, including Zambians as well as laws that would protect the local people.

There was need for the Government to deliberately come up with ways to encourage the participation of local people in the economic affairs of their nation.

Mr Hichilema said that the Government should ensure that investors coming in their country forge partnership with the local business people who usually lacked capital to invest.

He said it was the Government’s duty to ensure that the local people with bankable business proposals had access to the capital resources, which was the main hindrance to prosperity of Zambian investors.

Mr Hichilema reiterated his government’s planned investment in education to offer free education from primary to university and underscored the importance of education.

He said Zambia was endowed with a lot of resources, which needed to be tapped for the emancipation of the country from the pangs of poverty.

Describing himself as the economic manager, Mr Hichilema said he was the most suitable person to run Zambia at the moment among the four candidates because of his background.

On his chances to scoop the polls, Mr Hichilema said that he had travelled across the nation and the other candidates might not reach some places he had been to.

Others contesting the October 30 elections are acting president, Rupiah Banda, Patriotic Front president, Michael Sata and Heritage Party (HP) president, Godfrey Miyanda.

Times of Zambia

The Zambian delegation led by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson Judge Florence Mumba currently in South Africa’s Port City, Durban is tomorrow (Tuesday) morning expected to sign off  the ballot paper dummies (proofs) for Ndola Central and Mwansabombwe constituencies.

The Zambian delegation comprising ECZ officials, four political parties (MMD, Heritage Party, Patriotic Front and UPND) are expected to verify the dummies after which they will append their signatures at South Africa’s Universal Printing Company (Uniprint) in Durban.  Civil Society representatives will also witness the exercise. The company has been contracted by ECZ to print over four million presidential ballot papers and electoral materials for the two constituencies including Kanchibiya which has since been completed at an estimated cost of over US$4 million.

ECZ Senior Public Relations Officer Sylvia Bwalya in an interview with Journalists here today said political parties and ECZ officials will append their signatures on the electoral materials at an event which will also be witnessed by Civil Society representatives. Ms Bwalya said once the constituency ballot paper proofs have been approved by stakeholders, this would enable printing of the electoral materials to be done simultaneously with the presidential ballot papers.Printing of the presidential ballot papers started on Friday last week.
‘The signing off will ensure that all the electoral materials are printed simultaneously’, She said.

All the electoral materials to be used in the presidential election and the three by elections slated for October 30 are expected to be dispatched to Zambia this week on Saturday (October 12).  Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has reiterated that results for the presidential poll and three by elections (Ndola Central, Mwansabombwe and Kanchibiya) would be pasted at all polling stations to accord  everyone access.The ECZ Senior Public Relations Officer disclosed this in an interview with journalists here today (Monday). Ms Bwalya explained that ECZ adopted this concept from Zimbabwe and the Commission was also responding to calls by various stakeholders requesting the same to be done to consolidate transparency.

‘In the past people did not have access to these results at the polling stations.  Polling agents, other electoral agents and observers would carry the results with them after the polling and nothing was left at the stations’’. She said.  Besides, Mulungushi Conference Centre as a station for result announcements, Ms Bwalya further disclosed that another result centre will be opened at the ECZ headquarters.

‘’There will be two result centres at the Electoral Commission of Zambia Headquarters and Mulungushi Conference Centre’’. She added. In view of this, she advised that stakeholders wishing to have access to the two centres should get separate accreditation for the two, failure to which they will be denied entry.  Meanwhile, Ms Bwalya has advised various political parties participating in the forthcoming presidential election to ensure that they employ polling agents conversant with the electoral process. The ECZ  observed that the polling agents were the eyes of political parties hence the need for them to be well versed with the electoral process. She said that ECZ will conduct training for the polling agents and the meeting slated for Friday between the Commission and political parties in Lusaka was expected to address such issues.

‘’The polling agents are supposed to be spread in 6 456 polling agents and it is important for them to be conversant with the electoral process’’. Ms Bwalya said.

Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata, has accused first Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda of failing to develop the Northern Province during his 27 year tenure in office.

Mr. Sata asserts that Chinsali District where Dr. Kaunda hails from has lagged behind in terms of development.

Mr. Sata also wonder’s why Dr. Kaunda chose to have his pension house built in Lusaka instead of Chinsali District.

ZANIS reports that the PF leader said this at a campaign rally in Kasama.

Mr. Sata also said it was unfortunate that Dr. Kaunda has chosen to attack his capability to manage the affairs of the country if elected as republican president.

The PF leader said he has waited for several decades to lead Zambia and that time has now come for him to become president.

On Saturday, Dr. Kaunda was quoted by the media as saying Mr. Sata has no capacity to lead Zambia.

He said the PF leader was only suitable to head a government Ministry, as the position of president required a number of qualities.

ZNBC

Zambia’s liberation hero, Kenneth Kaunda, has endorsed acting president Rupiah Banda ahead of an election later this month, state media reported on Sunday.

Former head of state Kaunda said Banda, and not populist chief opposition leader Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front (PF), who has been drawing huge crowds at his campaign rallies, would make a good president.

“I am happy with the leadership skills shown by the acting president,” state radio quoted Kaunda as saying, adding he hoped Banda would continue holding the office of president.

“He (Sata) is good as governor and minister but I don’t think he can work as a president. I don’t hate him, but if voters elect him, it is their own fault,” Kaunda was quoted as saying by the state-owned Sunday Times newspaper.

Banda became acting president after the death in August of Levy Mwanawasa, praised by investors for stabilising the mineral-rich southern African nation and fighting corruption.

Analysts say Kaunda’s comments may swing a few more votes to Banda. No clear favourite has emerged ahead of the October 30 presidential poll.

State media also reported that the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s (ECZ) director of elections, Dan Kalale, said the budget for the poll would be 231 billion kwacha and that Zambia had asked donors to help finance it.

Finance Minister Ngandu Magande told Reuters last month he expected the cost of the election to widen the budget deficit beyond the projected 1.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), but it would be kept below 2 percent.

Reuters

Hundreds of Lusaka residents today thronged the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for the memorial service in honour the late President Levy Mwanawasa which marks a month since Dr. Mwanawasa met his demise.

Those in attendance included Acting President Rupiah Banda, First Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, Speaker of the National Assembly Amussa Mwanamwambwa, and Chief Justice Ernest Sakala.

Members of clergy, Cabinet ministers, Deputy Ministers, other senior government officials and members of the general public were also in attendance.

Former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa said the death of Dr. Mwanawasa should not bring an end to projects and programmes initiated by the late president Mwanawasa.

Mrs. Mwanawasa said soldiering on with the projects and programmes would be the best way to honour the late President Mwanawasa.

She pointed out that it would not be prudent for the new leader to embark on a new path and change direction as this would spell doom to gains and progress made in national development.

Mrs. Mwanawasa said Zambia has already been put on the path to prosperity.

And earlier, Pastor William Chanda of the Baptist Church paid tribute to former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa for endeavoring to assist the less privileged in society.

He has since urged Mrs. Mwanawasa to continue helping the underprivileged in society and continue putting God first during this trying time.

Also speaking during the memorial service, Acting President Rupiah Banda said Zambians will always remember and appreciate the late President Levy Mwanawasa for his exemplarily leadership and selfless service to the nation. Mr. Banda said the late Dr. Mwanawasa spared no effort to propel the nation forward for the benefit of the citizenry.
After the memorial service congregants proceeded to lay wreaths on the late President Levy Mwanawasa’s tomb at Embassy Park.

The late Dr. Mwanawasa died in Paris, France on 19th August, 2008 and was buried on 3rd September, 2008.

The late Dr. Mwanawasa was an active member of the Twin Palm Baptist Church.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has said it is ready to hold this month’s presidential election slated for October 30.

ECZ Chairperson Florence Mumba who is in Durban leading the Zambian delegation comprising political parties and civil society representatives, to monitor the printing of presidential ballot papers, said since the announcement of the polling date, the Commission’s officers have been on the ground conducting voter education.

Ms Mumba said the Commission had since drawn up a programme to help monitor progress and that ECZ was on course.

‘’We have done quite a lot of voter education and we started since the polling date was announced. As far as ECZ is concerned we are on course’’. Ms Mumba said.

On the involvement of stakeholders in monitoring the printing of ballot papers, Ms Mumba said this was necessary to ensure transparency and was happy that political parties and civil society had risen to the occasion.

However, she advised that political parties should ensure that their agents were at the polling stations much earlier to monitor every stage of the elections as this would avert possible suspicions.

Underscoring the importance of polling agents, Ms Mumba said it was entirely up to the various political parties to ensure that their polling agents were vigilant adding that ECZ was open and had nothing to hide.

‘’I would appreciate a polling agent who would be at the polling station a day before the polling as this would enable them count the number of voters who would pass through the station. However, it is up to political parties to make such a decision’’. She said.

In this vein, she has called a meeting to be held on Friday with various political parties where such issues would be ironed out.

On the 2011 tripartite elections, the ECZ Chairperson said ECZ would ensure that voting is made easier by removing unnecessary hurdles.

She noted that rural areas where people trek for long hours to go and vote would be addressed adding that once Government makes a decision on delimitation exercise, the Commission would be ready to implement the exercise.

‘’We would like to ensure that the Government of the day is elected by more than 2 thirds of eligible voters hence there are a few things that ECZ has to put in place to ensure that this is attained’’. She said.

Zambia goes to the presidential poll on October 30 and this has been necessitated following the death of Dr Levy Mwanawasa who died in August in France’s Percy Military Hospital.

ZANIS/ENDS/CLM

Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson Florence Mumba has expressed confidence that this month’s presidential election slated for October 30 will be free and fair.

Ms Mumba has also allayed fears against rigging saying it is not possible for this to occur because ECZ has been transparent from the beginning by allowing various stakeholders to monitor the printing of presidential ballot papers which started in South Africa ’s port city, Durban yesterday (Friday).

Speaking to journalists last night at City lodge in Durban , the ECZ Chairperson who is leading the Zambian delegation here dismissed assertions that ballot papers could be premarked during the printing process hence triggering a breeding ground for rigging.

‘’There is no possibility that ballot papers would be pre marked. When people talk about rigging we would like to know what they really mean and at what process this would occur’’, She said.

In addition the ECZ Chairperson said that Zambia as a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had to adhere to the electoral code of conduct and noted that it is in this vein that the Commission would like to uphold its credibility.

She observed that the laws were such that they would not promote flouting and they were plain for anybody to see.

On the company printing the presidential ballot papers, Universal Printing Company rebranding to Uniprint, Ms Mumba said she was impressed with the level of technology invested into the firm.

The ECZ Chairperson described the printing firm as professional saying she was amazed at its equipment and this gave the Commission confidence that a good job would be done.

Printing of over 4 million presidential ballot papers started yesterday (Friday) in Durban . Universal Printing Company, an accomplished firm in the printing industry with vast experience in handling printing jobs on electoral materials for various African countries including South Africa has been contracted by ECZ to undertake the work at the cost over US$400 000.

The cost also covers the printing of ballot papers for Kanchibiya constituency which has since been dispatched, Ndola Central and Mwansabombwe. By elections for the three constituencies also takes place at the same time with the presidential election.

And a 21 man Zambian delegation comprising political party and civil society representatives are in Durban to witness the printing of ballot papers up to the packaging stage. The work is expected to be completed on Friday next week with the ballot papers being dispatched the following day (Saturday).

ZANIS/ENDS/CLM