ECZ TO REVIEW SUSPENSION OF RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT WITHIN 24 HOURS
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says it will review the suspension of the counting and announcement of election results within 24 hours.
ECZ Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis said the suspension, which took effect immediately across the country, follows reports of violence targeting poll staff during the counting and announcement of results.
Zaloumis disclosed that some incidents of violence have resulted in the theft of marked ballot papers from ballot boxes.
“The Commission will review the suspension within 24 hours,” Zaloumis said.
The ECZ has suspended the results process in accordance with Section 67(3) of the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016, citing the security situation and continued threats of violence.
The suspension comes as the country awaits the official results of the August 13 general elections, with the Commission yet to complete the nationwide counting and announcement process.
Meanwhile, Political actors have reacted differently to the development.
The UPND welcomed the move to suspend ballot counting and results announcement following incidents of violence in some parts of the country.
Party National Management Committee member Mulambo Haimbe urged citizens to be calm and peaceful and abide by the position given by the commission.
He said the ECZ has given a timeframe in which they will revert and asked for patients so that they give more details.
However, Tonse Pamodzi Alliance representative Kasonde Mweenda was displeased with the announcement saying the Commission should have isolate the results of the affected places and disclose the rest.
And Tonse Pamodzi Alliance secretary general Celestine Mukandila shared similar sentiments and called for President Hakainde Hichilema to concede defeat believing that their candidate, NRPUP president Brian Mundubile had won the election.
He questioned the commission’s motive in suspending the counting of results.
“We all know that the results are tilting towards Brian Mundubile, we are very confident, we have won these elections,” Mukandila
“However the small spoons of ballot thefts and violence should not affect the counting of ballots,”
Meanwhile, Haimbe urged political players to exercise restraint and wait for official ECZ results before declaring themselves winners.
“Some of our colleagues have decided to declare themselves victorious, which is not in the interest of Zambia’s as those declarations are unverified . The people of Zambia must not take those self declarations as being worth paying attention to.”
“President Hichilema has made heads in Central Province and other parts of the country but we have been able to exercise restraints and not make declarations, understanding that, that is the sole mandate of the electoral Commission.”
Kalemba