Press Statement for immediate release.
11.12.2020
Lusaka:
*ESAU CHULU & ENTIRE ECZ MUST STEP DOWN IMMEDIATELY -NALUMANGO*
United Party for National Development (UPND) has demanded for the immediate resignation of Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson, Essau Chulu and his team at the Commission.
UPND Chairman Mutale Nalumango told the press that the demand for Judge Essau Chulu and his team at ECZ to step down had been necessitated by the electoral body’s failure to provide fair administration of the elections among other concerns.
She said the ECZ’s failure to provide segregated numbers of registered voters and the planned closure of the voter registration exercise tomorrow, which she said would disenfrenchize millions of eligible citizens especially in perceived UPND strongholds was reason enough for the ECZ leadership to step down.
“We demand that Justice Essau Chulu and Patrick Nshindano together with their team resign from the ECZ as their actions have the potential to plunge the country into chaos. We also demand for the registration period to be extended until the targeted number of voters is captured and also that the ECZ provide segregated numbers of registered voters,” she demanded.
Mrs Nalumango also demanded for an end to the alleged registration of foreigners and underage children, warning that failure to do so would attract a serious backlash from the general public.
She also demanded for the immediate end to the registration of inmates citing a lack of legal framework that supports the registration of prisoners.
“We also demand that the ECZ stop registering foreigners. ECZ should also give those areas with faulty registration equipment more days and, also, immediately stop the registration of inmates until a legal framework is provided. Failure to do so will receive a serious backlash,” she warned.
The voter registration exercise, set to come to end tomorrow has seen a number of stakeholders calling for the extension of the exercise.
*UPND MEDIA TEAM*