ZAMBIA'S OPPOSITION POLITICAL SAYS CONDUCTING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IS CRITICAL TO THE MAINTENANCE OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN ANY COUNTRY AS IT REFUSES TO GO INTO A PACT WITH THE RULING PARTY

THE OPPOSITION UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (UPND) SAYS CONDUCTING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IS CRITICAL TO THE MAINTENANCE OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN ANY COUNTRY.
PARTY PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA ALSO NOTES THAT TRANSPARENT, FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ZAMBIA’S DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
HE SAYS ISSUANCE OF NATIONAL REGISTRATION CARDS (NRC’S) VOTER REGISTRATION, POLLING STATION MANAGEMENT ON THE VOTING DAY, ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS AND INSTALLATION OF WINNERS NEED TO BE CONDUCTED PROPERLY.
MR. HICHILEMA STRESSES THAT THE 2011 VOTERS REGISTER AS IT STANDS NOW HAS A LOT OF ANOMALIES WITH MANY VOTERS WHO REGISTERED NOT BEING IN THE REGISTER.
HE SAYS SOME VOTERS HAVE THEIR ESSENTIAL DETAILS MISSING SUCH AS PICTURES AND WRONG NAMES AND A NUMBER OF VOTERS HAVING THEIR POLLING STATIONS CHANGED.
THE UPND LEADER ALSO OBSERVES THAT THE 2005 DATA BASE OF REGISTERED VOTERS HAS BEEN TAMPERED WITH NEGATIVELY WITH SOME VOTERS CAPTURED AS HAVING BEEN BORN IN 1820.
MR. HICHILEMA HAS CHARGED THAT THESE ANOMALIES AND MANY OTHERS INDICATE THAT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF REGISTERED VOTERS WILL BE DISENFRANCHISED – A SCENARIO HE SAYS CONSTITUTES RIGGING OF ELECTIONS.
THE UPND IS THEREFORE DEMANDING THAT THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF ZAMBIA (ECZ) CORRECTS ALL THE ANOMALIES TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.
THE PARTY DEMANDS FURTHER THAT THE VOTER VERIFICATION PERIOD BE EXTENDED FOR ONE MONTH.MEANWHILE THE UPND LEADER HAS DISPELLED ASSERTIONS FROM SOME PEOPLE THAT HIS PARTY IS IN TALKS WITH THE RULING MMD FOR A POSSIBLE ALLIANCE DURING THIS YEAR’S GENERAL ELECTIONS.
MR HICHILEMMA SAYS HIS PARTY AND THE MMD HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON WHICH THEY CAN BASE THEIR RELATIONSHIP ON.

published by augustine