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ECZ warns stakeholders against breaking election process
Kapiri Mponshi, April 22nd, 2013, ZANIS – The Electoral Commission of Zambia ( ECZ ) has cautioned key stakeholders participating in tomorrow’s Kapiri Mponshi constituency by-election not to interfere with the electoral process.
Kapiri Mponshi District Electoral Officer Mpande Hamwende says observers, monitors and political party agents are expected to work within the confines of their duties as stipulated in the electoral code of conduct.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Hamwende said this during an Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) briefing for elections political party agents, monitors and observers in Kapiri Mponshi District, today.
Mr. Hamwende said that the commission will not spare any stakeholder that will abrogate the code of conduct during the elections.
“we are going to be vigilant because we expect election stakeholders to observe the law.. we shall not hesitate to deal with anyone representative of political parties or observers to disrupt the smooth running of these elections,” Mr. Hamwende said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hamwende has advised political party agents, monitors and observers to stay within their assigned polling stations during elections to ensure that they record the proceedings accurately to avoid any suspicions.
The Electoral Officer also implored participating political parties to ensure that they assign their agents to all polling stations for purposes of verifying the election process.
“Political parties should make sure that they have presence at all polling stations to monitor the entire process of voting so that suspicions of vote rigging are completely dealt with,” Mr. Hamwende said.
Mr. Hamwende advised the poling agents to stay at polling stations and witness the counting and recording of votes on the announcement form.
“We don’t want a situation where you abandon your polling station and later on come back to dispute election results stay around so that you verify the results and sign the announcement form,” Mr. Hamwende said.
Meanwhile, the ECZ has already ferried the majority of the 570 election officers and election materials that include ballot papers to most polling streams dotted across the district.
The ECZ is using both air and road transport to take the staff and materials to their designated polling stations.
The ECZ started airlifting the election officers and election materials to far flung areas such as Ngabwe, Mulungushi and Chilwa Island yesterday.
Kapiri Mponshi Constituency has a total 140 polling streams.
