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This is despite the rejection of the system by participating opposition political parties.
ECZ Public Relations Officer Raphael Phiri in a statement made available to QFM News says the electronic system of transmitting election results in Kasenengwa and Vubwi constituencies is a pilot exercise and will not in any way affect the current manual system of collating and declaring election results.
Mr Phiri says the Commission will not use the results obtained through the electronic system for the declaration of the final election results.
He states that the hard copies of the results as announced by Presiding officers at each polling station are those that will be used at the totaling centres by the Returning Officers to collate and declare the final election results.
Mr Phiri explains that using an android (smart) cell phone, after the official announcement of the polling station election results, each Presiding officer will capture the image of the signed election results form at each polling station, and transmit the image using the smart phone simultaneously to the constituency totaling center, and the Commission Headquarters in Lusaka.
He points out that the pilot exercise is simply intended to determine how quickly the election results can be obtained from polling stations, considering the complaints by stakeholders over delayed election results announcement in the past.
Mr Phiri says the system was used in Katuba during the by-elections in that constituency
in February 2014, and that by 21:30 hours on poll day, results from 30 out of the 32 polling stations had
been received.
He has allayed any fears or concerns raised by stakeholders regarding this system of transmitting election results, as it is merely a test to ascertain the efficiency and reliability of the system and has not replaced the current system of collating and declaring election results.
Meanwhile voting is under in the five parliamentary by-elections taking place in Kasenengwa,Vubwi,Solwezi Central, Zambezi West and Mkushi South constituencies.
Voting started on a slow pace in most polling stations in the five constituencies.
Polling stations are expected to close at 18:00 hours.
