LUSAKA, Wednesday, September 30, 2020 (SMART EAGLES)
THERE IS A DELIBERATE ploy by the opposition UPND to discredit the integrity of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) so as to cause doubt and disrupt the electoral process, Deputy Media Director for the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) Antonio Mourinho Mwanza has said.
And Mwanza has explained that there is no online voter registration currently taking place ahead of the 2021 general elections.
Speaking when he featured on the Wednesday edition of the Lusaka Star Radio Magazine on UNZA Radio, Mwanza said the opposition was preparing for nothing but a loss in 2021.
“The opposition UPND have launched a campaign to discredit the integrity of the ECZ and they are doing this in order to bring doubt and confusion with regards to the electoral process and democratic credentials that we have as a nation,” said Mwanza.
“There is no online Voter Registration that ECZ is conducting. What ECZ is doing is pre-voter registration and NOT voter registration. The online-voter pre-registration is l not a final registration. All those who will pre-register online will be required to visit a physical registration centre to submit their biometrics (portrait, signature, finger/thumb prints), have their details verified and obtain a voters card.”
The PF Deputy Media Director said the opposition party was trying to plant seeds of discort and plant fertile grounds to dispute the 2021 election results.
He also said the opposition UPND has been crying and accusing ECZ of rigging elections from 2001, adding that the opposition party was headed for another loss in the upcoming general elections.
“All this is a very calculated move by the opposition but they are preparing for another loss. From 2001 upto 2021, the UPND will continue claiming that elections are rigged but what is important is that if you have proof of your allegations, that is why we have the Courts of Law where you can go and petition if you have evidence that elections have been rigged,” said Mwanza.
Mwanza further challenged the opposition to take part and participate in all meetings called by ECZ with various political parties and stakeholders.
He said there was no reason for anybody to go out and discredit the ECZ than just trying to justify a loss then blame it on ECZ when the election body had always invited all political party players for engagements on matters of concern.
“For example, we have Bill 10 which is trying to cure the issue of the Public Order Act, the issue of ECZ and the judiciary and if anybody cares about the autonomy and Independence of ECZ, they have an opportunity to support Bill 10 so that they can also change, revise and amend the electoral process,” he said.
“But those who boycott Bill 10 are simply saying that they are also happy with the Electoral Process Act the way it is, they are happy with the Public Order Act the way it is and they are happy with the way the Judiciary is.”
Meanwhile, Mwanza said there was no online voter registration as perceived by some sections of society and that the only registration taking place was a pre-online voter registration exercise whose purpose was to reduce the time people spend when doing the physical voter registration exercise.
He added that all those who would have done the pre-online voter registration would still be required to visit a voter registration center for verification and other requirements.
“The voter registration will require that all of us go to a voter registration Center and do the physical registration where they need to take your portrait, thumb print and signature. The only thing that this pre-online voter registration exercise is doing is that it reduces the time spent on the process so that when you go to the actual voter registration center, you would have already submitted some of your details and spend less time there.”
Mwanza added that nobody would be disadvantaged including those without Smart Phones or related Gadgets as everyone would still be required to visit a Center to complete the process before obtaining a voter’s card.