A senior official of the Electoral Commission of Zambia says
the organization is ready to supervise a credible presidential by-election on
Tuesday. Official campaigning ends on Monday ahead of the poll.
The commission's director of elections, Priscilla Isaac,
says both sensitive and non-sensitive materials have been dispatched to ensure
all polling centers across the country can open on time for the vote.
“We have really tried to be on top of things and we will be
ready to open polling station on time on the 20th,” says Isaac. “We dispatched
the last set of ballot papers to the districts - that was Thursday. So all the
ballot papers are all in the districts and now just waiting for the deployment
to the respective polling stations with the polling staff ... We know that
everybody will be in place by the 19th at all their respective polling
stations, in readiness for the polls on Tuesday.”
She says political parties were part of the verification
process of the ballot papers, and that the parties appeared satisfied with the
entire process.
Some Zambians have expressed concern about violence after
supporters from the ruling Patriotic Front and opposition United Party for
National Development clashed in parts of the country in the midst of their
campaigns.
Isaac says the electoral body is working with the parties to
encourage a halt to such attacks.
“We are particularly concerned with PF and UPND because it
is basically them that have been involved in skirmishes between their cadres
and supporters," she says. "All the political parties made a pledge
to promote peace for campaign, and also to ensure that restrain their cadres
and supporters from violence. Both presidents for PF and UPND made a public
commitment that they would not support any violence from any of their
supporters, calling on their supporters that even if they are provoked they
should restrain themselves and restrain themselves from provoking [others],”
she said.
Isaac says the electoral commission implemented measures to
ensure the election is transparent and credible.
“The Zambian electorate and stakeholders in general have
seen for themselves that we have improved tremendously in our management of the
process,” said Isaac. “2011, we had a credible election and we have a history
of two instances of power changing hands and it has been done peacefully. We
have done our level best to make sure that everything is in place for the voter
on Tuesday.”
She said the electoral commission has also improved on the
electronic system that will be used to transmit results from all polling
stations to the commission’s headquarters in the capital, Lusaka.
“We would be able to be alerted if there is any attempt of
mischief to disturb the transition or interfere with the transmission,” said
Isaac. “We have a backup system of receiving election results by fax to assist
us in verifying, and we will have a tough verification process.”
Clottey interview with Priscilla Isaac, director of
elections at Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)
-VOA
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