The Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has commended President Edgar Lungu for assuring the autonomy of the Electoral Commission of Zambia as the country heads towards the 2021 general elections.
Copperbelt AVAP Regional Coordinator Foster Jumbe says the pronouncement by the President clears the suspicions that some electoral stakeholders had on the commission and the ruling party.
“The pronouncement by the President is timely and will instill people’s confidence in the country’s electoral process as it eliminates negative suspicious that some electoral stakeholders had in the commission and the PF,” Mr. Jumbe said.
He noted that the accusations that some stake holders are making against the Commission and the Patriotic Front can cause voter apathy as people would be discouraged to vote if they begin to think that the commission decides who should win an election through rigging.
Mr. Jumbe said negative statements against the commission are a danger to the country’s democracy and can even disrupt the peace that the country is enjoying.
And in a separate interview, Operation Young Vote Copperbelt coordinator Guess Nyirenda said the pronouncement by the President is timely and welcome.
Mr. Nyirenda said the pronouncement will also instill confidence in the Electoral Commission of Zambia as the country draws closer to the general elections in August next year.
He however urged the commission to be seen to be independent in its actions on the ground.
“The commission should not only be independent on paper but it should also be seen to be independent in its actions,” he said.
Yesterday President Edgar Lungu said he will ensure that ECZ operates independently from any political interference.
Meanwhile, Kabompo District Stakeholders Association Chairperson, Rodgers Chinyemba has appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to intensify sensitization programmes on the ongoing online pre-voter registration exercise.
Mr. Chinyemba said the commission should place more adverts on both radio and television simplifying the online voter registration exercise to avoid disenfranchising the majority in the rural areas.
He told ZANIS in an interview today that though the commission explained that it will capture others during the physical voter registration, it is only fair to ensure those in the rural parts of the country also have a chance to be captured at first glance.
“We are appealing to the ECZ to put more radio and TV adverts on the online voter registration as there are many people especially in our rural and remote areas who have no idea what is happening in the nation.
“Please place more adverts even in local languages to help simplify the procedure on how people can pre-register online for their voters’ cards”, Mr. Chinyemba said.
He said the commission should also come up with incentives for local internet businesses that are closer to the people so that more people can register to vote as it is their constitutional right.
“Let them come up with a programme to reward some community internet cafes so that the more they pre-register people they get something at the end of the day, not everyone owns a smartphone or has access to the internet”, Mr. Chinyemba said.
And speaking in a separate interview, a senior citizen, White Samulola said it is unrealistic for the commission to achieve a target of nine million in 30 days unless if the online pre-registration was a final exercise.
Mr. Samulola said that reflections from previous voter registration exercise of 2015/2016 showed that only about one million plus new voters were registered as voters in the first 30 days of that period until an extension was given to capture more voters.
“It is physically impossible for the commission to reach the nine million new voter registrations in 30 days as it can be proven from what happened in 2015/2016 voter registration exercise. What magic will they use this time unless maybe when they extend that 30 days”, Mr Samulola said.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia recently launched the online voter pre-registration exercise which is expected to run from September 21 to November 6, 2020.
Meanwhile, Kabompo District Pastor’s Fellowship Chairperson, Godfrey Fulani has advised civil society organisations (CSOs) and all existing faith based organisations to help encourage people to register as voters through sensitization.
“This is a very important period for our country, so let us all join hands and help one another by encouraging our members of society to register as voters during this period.
“Remember no one will be allowed to vote if they will not register as voters.” Rev. Fulani said.
Rev. Fulani said the CSOs and the church need to show relevance at this time as this is among the reasons they exist in the many societies.
People that are complaining over ECZ are just scared of their own shadows. What the political parties needs to do is encourage their supporters to collect NRC and register as voters. Then when that is done they market their manifesto to voters. People are only interested in what these parties have to offer not insults, character assassination and fear of ECZ without any evidence. It has been long since I heard something new from especially the opposition other than insults and baseless accusations.
He must assure the courts autonomy to objectively and legally pronounce on his legibility to stand. Instead he’s now giving ECZ autonomy to deal with an already COOKED voters register!
W hat time is trump/biden debate?
This Jumbe guy, mate you really believe those empty words from Lungu?
Like Lungu will admit it even if he did… who is he f00ling bit himself. Let him prove he has not directed ECZ by protesting with the rest of the country this ECZ machiavellian n0nsense they are doing to try and hand over an election to Lungu.
Surely if these ECZ sycophants minions really wanted to start a new electoral roll, they would have started just after the last general elections 4 years ago. Not on the 11th hour with their incompetence, no way they will even reach 50% of eligible voters. If Zambians allow this n0nsense to pass without any kind of resistance, forget anything left of what you call a country. Might as well forget the elections altogether as it will be a waste of time.
It is perpetual losers like Mumba who are trying to bring the name of the ECZ in disrepute. Even if we put Angels at ECZ Mumba and his No Hope MMD will continue getting 2 votes, 1 and Zero vote. If ever Mumba wins it will be the end of the world.
It is losers perpetual losers like Mumba who are burn in getting the name of ECZ in disrepute. Even if we brought Angels at ECZ Mumba and his NO HOPE MMD will continue getting 1 VOTE, 2 VOTES and ZERO,
It is only stakeholders with partisan interests who can blindly praise a president for allowing ECZ to independently violate electoral laws and provisions of the Zambian constitution. Serious citizens will fight to protect the rule of law and the constitutional provisions. ECZ cannot be allowed to violate electoral laws under the guise of being an independent institution. As a referee in the electoral processes in Zambia, ECZ has to abide by the agreed electoral competition rules. This is the independence which ECZ must maintain. If ECZ wants to maintain independence of violating electoral laws, then ECZ will set the country on fire!!
Hi, I am trying to get a hold of your team to place advertising, your social media and contact page is not working. who can I contact?
Which stakeholders? dont call ba mushanina bwali ati stakeholders…. when know them by their black and white colors.
@ Lauren Africa. Contact me! Solola Bye!
Say what? Do what!
THESE ARE NOT NEGATIVE STATEMENTS BUT THEY ARE INDICATORS OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN WHERE WE SEE THE ECZ DIRECTING THE ELECTIONS IF 2021. ECZ MUST CONSULT STAKEHOLDERS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE OWNERS OF THE 2021 ELECTIONS. ECZ IS ACTING AS REFEREE IN A FOOTBALL MATCH. ECZ IS JUST AN ORGANISATION WHICH IS SUPOSED TO BE GIVEN WHAT IS TO BE DONE AND NOT TO RUSH BY HIJACKING THE CENTIMENTS OF THE POLITICAL PLAYERS WHICH ARE IN THIS MATTER ARE POLITICAL PARTIES.
PF IS NOT THE COACH BUT ALL BIG PARTIES AS AT NOW ARE, PF, UPND, MMD, NDC AND UNIP. THE REST ARE NEMWINE PARTY WHICH EVEN FAILS TO VOTE FOR THEMSELVES.
ECZ IS NOT DOING THINGS CORRECTLY. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO INFORM THE NATION SOME TWO YEARS AGO UNLIKE HIT AND RUN OVER- ONLINE REGISTRATION. THIS IS A PF SCANDLE. INFACT POLITICAL PARTIES ARE SUPPOSE TO SUE ECZ ENTIRE TEAM TO COURT AS TO WHO WHERE IS IT IN ECZ CONSTITUTION. ARRISING FROM THAT WE SEE ECL TO BE HIDING BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF ECZ.
Anybody who trusts ECL does so at his own Peril. Whatever ECL says the opposite is true. For ECL the means justifies the end.
This is not even an issue we should be discussing. This is already known. The ecz has always been independent during our reign. The upnd need to wake up and smell the coffee. Ooh here comes loss number 6 Haha. Experts in losing elections. Bwafya
ECZ is a mafia organization headed by corrupt Essau Chulu and he must be fired.
He is a danger to our peace. On several occasions ECZ sides with PF and Edgar Lungu.
PF must go!
Madilu voestek!!!
You are just a bloody sucker and no shame no morals a disgrace to mankind.
You must be a serious embecile and evil minded. You boast about materials that fade away a typical of questionable upbringing.
Don’t think you’re the only blogger with right mindset. Stay off from blogging and I know you paid to write rubbish about others.
PF must go!
Most
Kaizer my man, I will follow you. President KZ, it rhymes nicely doesn’t it. I will nominate my self as your number 1 supporter. You tick man!!
ECZ is a Zambian institution and if there are bad things make proposals to rectify those things. Complaining in the commenting section here will not change anything. Take your suggestions to places were changes can be done to improve things. Go discuss with ECZ and only bring jokes here for us to digest and have a good laugh. PF doesn’t control ECZ – approach them to sort out the problems you see.
Only those who are not able to perceive things as they are, are the only ones who are singing songs of praise to such statements but those of us majority Zambians know wat ECZ is trying to do to help PF win 2021 elections. Everyone knows that PF is so scared about the 2021 elections and they are so desperate to do all the evil things just to win those elections but wat is comforting is that God is in control of all the situation pertaining to the 2021 elections in Zambia
In any democratic country, people are free to express themselves and do whatever they want to, in the framework of Constitution. Though people follow the rules, politicians take liberty to misuse and abuse them. Unwarranted allegations against the government once again showed that how politicians use the media to propagate falsehood to derive political mileage from it. That is what exactly UPND has done.
UPND had been opposing every step, every decision of the government. It was expected from an opposition party. But off let, Hakainde Hichilema and his party had started going overboard. In a bid to oppose the government, he had unleashed his paid media to attack the government and President Edger C Lungu. It is a good indication that stakeholders have now started coming forward to express their opinions and nail the lies of opposition. They should also not hesitate to pin point the mistakes of the government too. This is the indication of vibrant democracy.
Being in opposition doesn’t mean that everything that government does needs to be opposed. And when issues like autonomy of institutions such as ECZ are politicised without any proof, the opposition loses its credibility. Over the last few months, there have been many instances when the false propaganda by the opposition has been imposed on the people to set a narrative against the government. This time the narrative was tampering with ECZ. But fortunately this narrative too, has been exposed.
Opposing anything just for the sake of opposing has become the style of functioning of UPND. Has Mr Hichilema realised that he has crossed all the limits in maligning the image of government? Has he realised, that at the end of the day, it is Zambia which is getting bad name across the world because of this petty politics?
This shows that the people of Zambia are getting mature. They have started reacting to the political developments and how! It is a good sign that politicians will have to make lot of answering now. Good job, AVAP. Hope it inspires others also to express themselves.
Politicians can take some people granted for some time. But they can’t take all the people for granted for all the time. Hakainde Hichilema and his party must have learnt a lesson from this. He should now stop petty politics and concede defeat.