Moving to an Electronic Voting System, a suspicious move
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
With technology advancements, it is an imperative requirement that our election management enjoys efficient system that should enable that election results should be announced without the wait and suspicions that characterise our elections.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) first tried to implement the electronic voting system in 1996.
The Israeli security company Nikuv International Projects (NIP), awarded to do the data migration and implement voting system, was instead, accused of implementing a rigging system and infrastructure in favour of the MMD.
The failure of implementing the system was blamed on a computer illiterate set of stakeholders.
It’s been almost 30 years later and suspicions against electronic voting system remain highly suspicious despite technology advancements and general acceptance of technology.
In Africa, todate, only Namibia has implemented a full electronic voting system in Africa.
In Zambia, election management, transmission of results and vote tallying remains highly manual.
In 2020 presidential elections, the Republicans and Donald Trump blamed Dominion Voting Systems Corporation and Florida-based Smartmatic, to be behind their loss.
They accused the two companies of being part of a conspiracy to fell Trump.
Despite credible information that the system implements data security, backed-up, tamper-proof and protected, most of the Republican leaders believe that the 2020 election was a fraud.
Biden received more than 81 million votes, while Trump received 74 million votes.
The vote for Biden was so massive that it beat that of Barack Obama’s record of 69.5 million votes from 2008 who is deemed to be one of the most popular american presidents in recent times.
The massive increase in turnout that took place especially during the pandemic was deemed suspicious. Over 158 million Americans voted, nearly 22 million more than voted in the previous Presidential election in 2016.
So far, Zambia has implemented electronic systems around voter registration and data collection but no voting machines have been installed and implemented and electronic transmission of votes has to be tallied and confirmed manually before they are announced.
President Hakainde Hichilema is accused of trying to tamper with the Republican Constitution to entrench himself and the intended amendments may result in the removal of clauses such as the presidential term, removal of 50%+1 majority vote and removal of running mate.
So this process will be shrouded in controversy and suspicions.
So the discussion that ECZ intends to migrate our voting system to the electronic platform 30 years after the first contentious rejection, will be as highly contested as before despite the stakeholders being computer literate as the issue is not about the implementation of technology but is always about lack of public trust and the true intentions of leaders.
Is the tittle ambassador same as doctor or Engineer that sticks until death. I have seem so many people who have served as ambassadors even in other countries that don’t stick to that tittle after the service. I might be wrong that Mwamba sticked it like a tick.
In civilised countries only the following lead to titles:
1. Academic: Prof
2. Medical: Dr/Mr,Miss
3. Ecclesiastical: Rev, Bishop etc
4. Civil/Honours : Sir etc
Engineers,Mechanics,Chefs etc.
Do not normally calling themselves Carpenter Haamonga.
Actually mwamba is making it seem like all other ambassadors including Big Man VJ, Zambia’s every youngest ambassador at 21 got their “qualifications from matero!!!
Imingalato ba Hakainde.
Hahaha! Emmanuel Mwamba, you’re scared of your own devils.
You were the face of PF rigging especially the 2016 general election, reason why you’re so scared and apprehensive.
UPND is a civilised party and we won’t do what you did. We just want to modernise the system and move away from a corruptible paper driven system.
However, we will still revenge for the PF’s theft of the 2016. Remember that revenge is best “served chilled” so don’t cry foul because that may happen. We are not fools. You discriminated against some sections of society, do you think those sections are foolish enough to let you do it again? Not in our lifetime and that i can tell you Mr Sekeseke Mwamba. Go and tell Lubinda, Lungu and Nakachinda.
It’s welcome but it has to be triangulated with Parallel voter turbulation from the Church Mother body and CIvil society organisations. Where a wide margin is found, physical comparing of Gen form documents or even go further where possible by recounting of ballots papers in concerned totaling centres.
True. Mwamba Emmanuel is too much of commenting minor issues.
A former Ambassador exposing his dullness….