ECZ demarcates wards and polling stations in Shiwan’gandu

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has embarked on the demarcation of Wards and Polling Stations in Shiwang`andu district in Muchinga Province.

ECZ Chairperson Irene Mambilima said that the wards and polling stations delimitation exercise is as a result of several factors which include among others, long distances electorates have to cover when accessing
Polling Stations as well as population increase.

Ms Mambilima was speaking in a speech readon her behalf by Shiwang`andu District Council Secretary (CS) Maybin Mulenga at the District Delimitation Meeting in Shiwang`andu yesterday.

Ms Mambilima said it has been established that some polling stations are located in places not convenient for conducting elections.

She said the exercise will also involve the re-location of polling stations to suitable sites.

She emphasized that the commission will effect new council wards after the Ministry of Local Government issues the statutory Instrument to legalise the new Wards.

Ms Mambilima added that, the current delimitation exercise will not include the creation of more constituencies because the present constitution only provides for 150 constituencies.

She said after the creation of a tenth new Province, the commission recommended that the number of constituencies be increased from the current 150 to 235.

She said the commission has since informed government on the need to
amend the constitution in order to increase the number of constituencies.

Ms Mambilima however, said that in a quest to effectively deliver services to citizens, government has embarked on decentralization of the country`s governance system which has resulted in the establishment of 29 new districts in the country.

She said the creation of new districts has resulted in the revision of district boundaries to pave way to new districts.