EXTRA BALLOT PAPERS ARE A STANDARD ECZ ELECTION PROCEDURE, SAYS ANTONIO MWANZA
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Antonio Mourinho Mwanza has explained that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has consistently printed additional ballot papers in every election to cater for contingencies, describing the practice as a standard electoral management procedure that has been in place for many years.
Mr. Mwanza noted that ECZ voter education materials dating back to at least 2016 clearly state that a voter who accidentally spoils a ballot paper is entitled to receive a replacement.
He said this is one of the reasons the Commission prints extra ballot papers beyond the total number of registered voters.
He further explained that the additional ballot papers also serve as a contingency measure in the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as damage or destruction of ballot papers during transportation, including road traffic accidents involving vehicles carrying election materials.
Mr. Mwanza said the existence of extra ballot papers should not, in itself, be interpreted as evidence of electoral fraud or vote rigging. Instead, he said the focus should be on the accountability mechanisms employed by the ECZ to ensure every ballot paper is tracked.
He explained that at the close of voting, election officials are required to account for all ballot papers issued to each polling station, including those issued to voters, unused ballot papers, spoilt ballot papers and rejected ballot papers.
Mr. Mwanza said these categories must reconcile with the total number of ballot papers supplied to the polling station, adding that any discrepancy must be explained in accordance with established electoral procedures.
He observed that the accountability process has been applied consistently in previous elections and is well known to election observers, monitors, political parties and candidates who have participated in Zambia’s electoral process.
Mr. Mwanza stressed that the real measure of electoral integrity is not the existence of extra ballot papers but whether every ballot paper is properly accounted for throughout the electoral process.
He has since called on citizens and political stakeholders to remain objective and factual in discussions surrounding the elections, urging all parties to safeguard Zambia’s democratic processes by promoting informed debate and preserving national unity.
© Palm TV
