Election is not an event but a process, so is rigging
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba wrote;
Holding a general election is a process; from a fair proces of registration of voters,to holding of campaigns, printing of ballots, to voting, counting, totalling and release of verified results.
Election is not an event, it’s a process. It therefore ought to be a fair, objective and transparent process.
This include independent oversight processes such as monitoring and observation of the election by party agents and independent Observers.
As has been seen in the past, at any stage, the process can be interfered with the intention to undermine the poll outcome.
Already the Zaloumis Mwangala led Commission has shown open bias torwards the UPND and against the Opposition.
ECZ has barred the participation of the Patriotic Front in any election. With impunity, it has called elections that have been stopped by the courts of law as seen in Kabushi, Kwacha sland Kawambwa by-elections.
ECZ has allowed and perpetuated irregularties in elections. It has not prevented violence or punished perpetrators of it.
Opposition accredited polling agents have been beaten and removed from inside polling stations, in the presence of both the police and ECZ and ECZ has ignored this blatant attack on the electoral process thereby making it an active acccessory to the crime of stealing an election and thwarting the expressed will of the people.
Now ECZ has suddenly and without discernible cause cancelled a legitimate award of the tender for the printing and delivery of various electoral materials.
On 28th October, 2024 ECZ announced the intention to award the contract for the printing of ballot papers and other electoral materials to Ren Form CC of South Africa.
But on Monday,13th January,2025, the Commission notified the public that Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing of United Arab Emirates had been awarded the contract to print and deliver ballot papers and other election materials.
The contract with Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing was signed the other day, on 10th January 2025. And despite previous pledges thst the printing of ballots will be granted to Government Printers, this plan has been abandoned.
It is public knowledge that there are numerous government deals being offered and done with entities from the UAE, from energy power purchase agreements with ZESCO and to now contract to print ballot papers for the 2026 general election.
The Opposition has demanded the dismissal or removal of ECZ Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis and Commissioner Mcdonald Chipenzi as they are established members of the ruling UPND party.
The Opposition has also demanded the removal of the Chief Electoral Officer, Brown Kasaro for his previous and serious disciplinary case of misconduct record at ECZ.
But all these concerns, pursued to make the Electoral Commission of Zambia independent enough to process and deliver credible, free, democratic and fair elections have been ignored.
Holding of credible, free, fair and democratic elections is one of the key factors to guarantee peace and security in the nation.
Therefore actions that undermine these principles go to endanger the security and stability of a nation.
ECZ must recognise this role its trusted to play as an impartial referee and must act as a midwife to deliver the free expression abd delivery of the will of the people through the ballot.
Mwamba should realise that lies have short legs!!
The chief rigger himself, eh? We knew the day would come when you would talk about your rigging which helped late Levy against late Mazoka, late Chiluba in second term bid, and Lungu against HH in 2016. Lungu even gave up but you came from RSA and assured him you would do the needful which you faithfully honoured. Now you are out. It must be very hurtful kikikikiki….
To UPND, rigging is unknown, it was with PF and it went with PF, you are the people who were using it, especially you Mwamba, you used to leave your Mission in SA and Ethiopia to come and help in rigging and all the manipulations you knew. You are one of the few diplomats who recalled himself, no wonder you are still talking about rigging this time. Us in UPND have even forgotten about it because UPND doesn’t believe in rigging, it believes in its popularity through its superb performance.
You seem to know a lot about this process. Tell us more kaili.