-Livingstone voting opens on a low note

—-Voting in the rescheduled Livingstone

parliamentary by-election has opened on a low note.

A check by ZANIS this morning at Mujala polling station in Dambwa
North found a handful of people preparing to cast their votes.

Presiding Officer at the Polling Station Kanyimba Millius said only
four people had cast their votes by 06:10 hours.

Clement Hibeenzu who queued up as early as 05:00 hours was the first
person to cast his vote at 06:01 hours.

And at Dambwa North Community Centre, 30 people had voted by 06:50
hours in the two streams at the polling station while 31 people had
cast their votes at Old Boma Polling Station by 07:15 hours.

At  Damwa site and service  14 people had voted, while at Bomb site
polling station 30 people had voted between 06:00 hours and 06: 25
hours.

Meanwhile,  a check  by ZANIS at Rainbow Africa, Old Kazungula Boma
and Libala  polling station between 07;0  hours and 07: 20 found no
queues.

Presiding Officer at Rainbow Africa Julia Mushota said  at least
40 people had voted  by 07:10 hours .

She however expressed hope that more people will trickle in as the day
progresses.

At Maramba polling station 23 people had voted by 07:03 hours and at
Mbita more than 50 had voted with  short queues of people waiting to
cast their vote.

The Livingstone Parliamentary By-elections is being contested by
UNIP’S Green Mwanagombe, UPND’S Regina Musokotwane, PF’s Lawrence
Evans and MMD’s Fred Siasuntwe.

The Seat fell vacant following the resignation of Reverend Howard
Sikwela who later joined the ruling Patriotic Front.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ postponed the by-election from last month on

28 February following political violence that erupted  during campaigns which left a PF member dead.