Representatives of political parties monitoring the printing of ballot papers in Johannesburg this morning demanded that the Electoral Commission of Zambian (ECZ) reveals the security features of presidential ballot papers for January 20 elections.
During a briefing meeting by ECZ and the printing company Ren-Form this morning, the opposition political parties’ representatives demanded to know the security features on the ballot papers in order to be assured that the ballots cannot be printed elsewhere.
United Party for National Development (UPND) representative Cosmas Moono said as stakeholders, political parties had the right to know what security features were on the ballot papers to allay fears of ballots papers being printed secretly elsewhere.
Captain Moono said being sensitive documents, ballot papers should carry special security features which should be made known to all stakeholders by ECZ.
”We want to be sure that the ballot papers cannot be printed by just any other printer because of the security marks but we do not know why ECZ is not willing to do that,” he said.
National Restoration Party (NAREP) national secretary Jevan Kamanga echoed Capt. Moono’s sentiments adding that knowing the security features would remove any suspicions and myths that political players may have about the printing of ballot papers.
And Islamic Supreme Council of Zambia representative Sheikh Siddique Kaputula said the ECZ would lessen suspicions if it revealed the security marks.
“I think for the sake of transparency and credibility, it would be better if the security details of the ballot papers were made known because all these differences will not be there,” he said.
But ECZ Elections Manager, Winner Mwanamoonga assured the stakeholders that the ballot papers were being printed on a special security paper meant solely for presidential election.
He said it has never been a custom for ECZ in the past elections to explain security marks of ballot papers and wondered why this time around political parties have made it a big issue.
“We have been doing this exercise for a long time now and we have never been asked to explain security features of the ballot paper but like you saw yesterday, ballots are printed on a security paper,” he said.
After lengthy deliberations, the stakeholders agreed to lay aside the issue of security features and allow the printing of ballots to continue.
Meanwhile, Ren-Form Chief Operations Officer Albe Naude disclosed that 500, 000 ballot papers had been printed by 09:00 hours this morning.
Mr. Naude said the printing firm was likely to reach one million copies by this evening.
He projected that Ren-Form will reach the target of 5,390,050 ballot papers by Wednesday evening.
Zambia will hold presidential elections on January 20, 2015 to choose a new president who will succeed the late Michael Sata.
President Sata died in London on October 28 this year after an illness.
Eleven candidates have filed in nominations to contest the position of president.
Iwe ka Winner Mwanamoonga THIS IS A NEW DAY! Just because you’ve never done it before doesn’t mean it has no value!
Elyo naba kwiniike ishina bali lubile. Te iwe winner at all! Abatiila Luza Mwanamoonga kuti ca lungama.
Finshi uletina? Basop!
Are you okay Jess?
My shrink tells me I’m seeing things again but am I being irrational when I feel unusually drawn to the size of the heads in the imagery?
It’s like a subliminal call to vote for the normal looking ones. Chuckle.
A phiri, thanks for asking, I’m fine. A little incensed that with the advances in technology a security feature becomes an issue.
Meanwhile every Rupiah, Nsanda has suddenly bought a ticket to SA.
smdh
being childish,you want to bring unnecessary debats you also, you have told to moninter then you start coming up with you theoris, ECZ does the printing all years and they keep the security identities to themselve not to political parties
I hear South Africa is lovely this time of the election cycle… I mean year.
You can visit Robbin Vote Island, increase the size of your Rand Mine and visit the game park to see wild Zambians running around with ballot boxes.
Chuckle.
The order of candidates on the Ballot favors HH. His name is easy to find and one does not even need to look at other names after selecting HH. Lungu is at a disadvantage. Again this is showing me that God is speaking and asking Zambians to open their eyes and elect HH.
UKO,,,,,PROMISE NUMBER 299 and add GBM and that makes it promise number 300,,,,,,Zambains are not listening my dear HH.
GBM is looking at his personal interests first as an individual neglecting the interests of many Zambians who desperately need to witness completion of various developmental projects which were started by the late president. SO PLEASE HH,,,,TAKE GBM WITH YOU.
2015 VOTE PF(EDGAR)
I THANK YOU
@A Phiri ana bwera…
I have in the recent past read some of your comments. Your word construction is terrible. Each time you comment you fail to provide an intellectually stimulating conversation. In clever blog conversation, one carefully chooses words that other readers may understand. In your attempt to sound intellectual, you are all over the place. In other words you lack good intellectual communicative qualities. You are the worst “intellectual” writer on this blog. And please stop chuckling. It makes you sound like a lunatic. Enroll in English 101 or attend a writing class.
@Professor Massa Musa
That’s rather harsh. I don’t think the intention on A Phiri’s part is to be intellectual. I have no doubt that if that was his intention, he could put War & Peace to shame.
He’s getting his zingers in there, without actually appearing to do so. His brand of humour is very appealing to me and I’m sure many others.
I think he’s very droll. What I can’t stand is slapstick humour, a la Charlie Chaplin.
Carry on A Phiri….
@Professor. Thanks for the critique. I do not have an intellectual bone in my body so am unlikely to ever achieve a higher standard than this. I am happy for you to point me to intellectually stimulating conversation spots though… If you would like me to leave just say so. It’s easier than wasting a paragraph on me… My advice… skip over what you don’t like and read what you do like. Most importantly NEVER expect me to be supplier of intellect. Chuckle.
@Jess. You read me like a book. Sarcasm and irony rule. Chuckle.
THEY SHOULD TELL ALL ZAMBIANS SOME OF THE OBVIOUS ONES SO THAT EVERY PERSON CAN INSPECT THEIR BALLOT PAPER BEFORE THEIR CAST. Public awareness messages must be put out and all stations should have this information displayed.
And surely if they had serial numbers then ECZ would have a recordable base that would reflect the specific serial numbers for specific areas and as such would be able to determine any foul play if the serial numbers were not consistent with the given area. This list would be in sole custody of ECZ and as such they would be completely accountable as it should be if any foul papers were found and they would have to discard said foul papers. Correct me if I’m wrong of this already occurs.
SERIAL NUMBERS FOR BALLOT PAPERS OPPOSITIONS DEMAND SO THAT CHOPPERS DONT STOP IN THE BUSH TO SWAP THEM PLIZ OPPOSITION .
TOMMORROW PRESSURE PRESSURE LUO SUCCUMBS TO HHH AND GBM ,GAZZETTE TO INSTALL BA CHITIMUKULU SIGNED BY AN OFFICER IN THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE .
PF PF WHY IN THE FIRST PLACE YOU GREW WINGS WHEN YOU COULDNT LISTEN AT ALL TO BEMBA PIPO EVEN EDGAR SENDING POLICE TO OUR CHIEF
@Professor Massa Musa
This is an unnecessary attack on a nice comrade A Phiri ana bwe. People come on this pages to express or vent their anger, frustrations on various issues affecting them personally, and they don’t need to do this in an intellectually stimulating professorial tones. People just want to express themselves using simple every day language. This is demanding a lot from people. I always read A Phiri ana bwe’s posts and his chuckles, I find nothing offensive or nauseating about. Yaba! It’s difficult to please everybody, ka? I think, Prof. you should apologise to A Phiri ana bwe for your unprovoked, unwarranted fist swinging attacks on an innocent soul.
Ebeni abantu ati kulemba pali no. 3. uwa butatu.
Lol—–You made my day!
Kinda makes you realise why the future and its technology is a good place to go. Get my DNA, finger print and unique voting code up on this. I’m voting for whichever logo is cheapest to recreate.
Ba My lady ba Ireen Mambilima where are you in all this??
Previous elections have had results tampered with Thats why
SERIAL NUMBERS CORESPONDING TO POLLING STATIONS AND THIS INFO ONLY HELD BY ECZ HENCE ACCOUNTABILITY. NUMBERS
“Like you saw yesterday, ballots are printed on a security paper” Said the ECZ Elections Managers.
Rubbish answer!!! The question is; what are the security features?
When you`re dealing with desperate characters like PF , stakeholders deserve to know the security features and be assured that any imitations can be detected.
I agree with you. I wonder why she didn’t answer the damn question.
The paper itself is one of the security features but its easier to get, so more advance features are embedded in the paper.
Its always advisable to embed security features in highly valuable paper, and ballot papers, whilst they seem valueless have intrinsic value. A ballot paper will determine how our standard of living will be depending on who comes into power.
Lets treat a ballot paper just like paper money or alternatively why not go digital, Namibia has shown the way.
It is quick pathetic that even ballot papers have to be printed in Rsa 50 years after independence.
Totally with you. Don’t we have printers here who are competent. There is Horizon Printers, Government Printers etc.
Could I be wrong to smell a rat. Remember there was an issue of money being sent back to one of the former employees at ECZ from Mauritius.
We complain of the Kwacha depreciating, this is one of the reasons.
We complain of lack of jobs, this is one of the reasons. We continue creating jobs overseas.
I don’t see anything special about the South African printing company. Its a private company and if ECZ felt that the Zambian companies lack physical security, why not ask all those party representative to spend some nights watching over the printing process. We would even allay all these accusations and mistrusts.
This is insanity at its best,next thing,the opposition will demand to know the security features on our bank notes.Security features are meant for security as the name suggests,so that people do not duplicate.If every jim and jack know them,what will be the essence of security features,grow up ba opposition.
Mr. Zamcab, I am not with you on this one. So you mean you don’t know the security features on the Zambian bank notes.
I suggest before we post anything or “nothing” lets spend a little bit of time to do some research on an issue we don’t know.
Learning is one of the most powerful weapons, if not the most powerful.
A security feature is always disclosed. Go to the banks and you will find posters of the new currencies with security features indicated on them.
A security feature is as good as that poster or drawing on your gate saying “Chenjelani di agalu”, “Warning vicious dogs here”.
The question is, why would you warn people that you have vicious dogs, Mr. Zamcab? Your answer to this one will be the answer to your question.
jimmy jones,my borther,much as i appreciate your personal opinion,it is insane for you to conclusively think that every jim and jack knows the security features of our bank notes.Yes some features are known by everyone,but there are some features on money notes that are only known by the authorities,this is so,because,we can all produce our own money,if it was that easy.
@zamcabs
The Central Banks of all countries, including Zambia, go to great lengths to sensitise the public on the security features of bank notes. You might want to rethink your submission.
Zambia so they r printing the papers without people know security futures in UK primary school kids will tell u security features on money, xbox accounts and in Zambia adults don’t know ballot paper security features yaba!
Please tell people like Zamcab. We really feel embarrassed with such commentaries.
I suggested in one of my blogs as to the direction our discussions should go, otherwise we shall all get sucked in a fruitless whirlwind of nothings.
Negativity and empty discussions are contagious, lets move away from such.
why is it that HAKAINDE’S image is so big as compared to Edgar, can someone raise that to the ECZ officials please.
But why allow one to wear a hat on the ballot picture.
ECZ please set some basic standards.
pa bwaatoooooooooooooooo!
Just thinking, if I were the guy in the corporate development section/department of these online media, I will start thinking of how to create various platforms to cater for a divert of contributors.
In the medium term I see, with the continued disorganised discussions, Zambian online media not flourishing. Why do I say so? When you read through most of the blogs, the are all about “shouting” this and that.
Let LT create a platform for those “shouters” if there is such a word and for those who really want to have a proper, organised and enriching discourse.
If the topic is politics, we have the proponents and those against bringing out issuing so that everyone benefits. As it is, by the time you scan all through the blogs, you get one/two and nothing at all to enrich your…
These pictures have me confused. Yes I can see HH, Edith Nawakwi, G Miyanda and L Sondashi clearly. T Kaunda looks like Frank Mutubila and Edger Lungu looks like the late Samuel Zoom Ndlovu. I am sure a lot more illiterate people will be confused just like me.
Cry babies UPND at it again!they make noise on anything!what a silly party!PF symbol is well known to many zambians so the order on ballot paper do not favour anybody!EDGAR LUNGU IS WINNING 2015 ELECTIONS NO MATTER HOW!
I LOVE THIS BALLOT PAPER, LUNGU SAONEKA. I WNDR HW MANY VOTERS WILL AFFORD MAGNFYNG LENCES/MICRSCOPES TO SCAN N LUK 4 LUNGU, LATR ALONE VOTE 4 HIM….VIVA HETCH HETCH..
It’s alphabetical. It’s the first thing I checked.
Everyone can count to 3 in their native language. Not sure about 11
The PF clenched fist symbol represents Violence and nothing but violence. There is nothing we have seen of the PF in 3 years that relates this clenched fist symbol to national development, nothing at all but we have seen only violence. Zambians better run away for cover, for safety once you see or meet people raising a clenched fist, they are vilolent.
what is wille Nsanda doing in south africa… is not a scam to rig elections….. opposition lets open our eyes….. he may be organising nikuvu…..
Pabwato tapalubika.They are main opposition . EL efintu.
If you do not like Edgar Lungu, put a cross (an X) besides his name! VIVA Lungu!