ECZ refutes HH’s claim that his votes were stolen

The electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has refuted opposition UPND President Hakainde Hichilema’s claim that some results were not verified by the Commission.

Commission Director Priscilla Isaac said her organisation allowed two officials from the UPND including two others from the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) to witness and verify results as they were coming out.

Ms. Isaac argued that the counting and collection of results at all the polling stations and constituency was transparent and open to all accredited polling and election agents, local monitors and international observers.

Ms. Isaac said this in a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today.

She explained that results for Serenje, Mkushi South and Luposohi constituencies were transposed or swapped on the UPND schedule.

She further said Itezhi-tezhi results had been repeated twice on the schedule while those for Mwembeshi constituency were completely omitted on the UPND schedule.

‘We didn’t receive a report of any dissatisfaction with the results by any of the contesting parties and neither was there a report to date of any request having been made for a recount of the votes at any polling station,” Ms. Isaac said.

She pointed out that the Commission takes great exception to the allegations that Mr. Hichilema’s votes were stolen.

Ms. Isaac advised Mr. Hichilema to petition the presidential election results in the Supreme Court as provided for in the law because that is his democratic right as opposed to malign the Commission on baseless issues.

“Mr. Hichilema has got a democratic right to petition the election results at the Supreme Court rather than malign the Commission when every effort was done to the satisfaction of all stakeholders,’ she said.

But UPND president Hakainde Hichilema charged that he would not concede defeat in the just ended January 20 presidential election because his votes were allegedly stolen and given to PF candidate Edgar Lungu.

Featuring separately on Millennium Radio yesterday and Hot FM Radio today, the opposition leader claimed that he beat President Lungu in several other places among them Eastern, Northern, North-Western, Lusaka rural and parts of the Copperbelt provinces.