THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has commended political parties monitoring the ballot printing exercise in Dubai for putting aside political interests and prioritising national interests.
ECZ Commissioner Zevyanji Sinkala says the unity demonstrated by political parties and civil society organisations (CSOs) during the exercise reflects how a national process should be handled.
The praise came after observers from the Tonse Alliance, UPND, Citizens First, Leadership Movement and independent candidate Given Katuta described the ballot printing process as credible, inclusive and satisfactory.
Speaking after stakeholders toured the Al Ghurair Printing Company in Dubai, where ballot papers and other election materials are being packaged into pallets for different constituencies, Sinkala said it was encouraging to see political players working together.
“It was quite a very humbling and music to my ears, listening to various speakers who have spoken. And there’s one thing that I will take away, which is an appreciation that, yes, we can do better, but there has been unanimity in recognising that thus far we have done well as a commission and as a people. I love what Professor [Luo] said, you reminded us that the interests go beyond the numbers in this room. The interests are for our country, for the 21 million, 22 million Zambians. I’m also very delighted that with what I have seen for the number of days that I have spent with you, there has been nothing but unity that has been demonstrated across the political parties that are being represented, with the support coming from the CSOs. That is how it’s supposed to be. This is a national event of national character, national magnitude, and I think we’ve done well for those who are representing political parties, that you have put political interests aside and fronted national interests above petty or narrow political interests. For that, I’m truly grateful,” he said.
He said the commission had also taken note of the proposal to include sign language on ballot paper posters and would consider it in future electoral planning.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the commission remains committed to conducting a transparent, credible and accountable electoral process in accordance with the Constitution of Zambia. This commitment is demonstrated by the measures we have put in place throughout the ballot paper production process. Political party representatives and accredited election observers continue to witness every stage of the production. This oversight promotes transparency and gives stakeholder confidence, and integrity is added to the entire process. The commission has established very rigorous quality assurance and verification procedures at every stage of the process. You bear me witness, colleagues, that this has been spoken to. I further wish to acknowledge stakeholder proposals for the inclusion of sign language on ballot paper posters to enhance accessibility for deaf voters,” said Sinkala.
“The commission has acknowledged the proposal and would consider, as part of future electoral planning. We duly recognise the various needs of different categories of voters, including persons with disabilities. In conclusion, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to political parties represented, accredited observer missions, cooperating partners, members of the media and all stakeholders who continue to monitor this important process with professionalism and objectivity. Your participation demonstrates our collective commitment to delivering elections that are transparent, peaceful, credible and reflective of the will of the people of Zambia. The commission will continue to provide regular updates as the ballot paper printing exercise progresses towards completion and as preparations are made for the shipment of ballot papers and electoral materials to Zambia”.
Earlier, UPND observer Dr Bob Sakahilu said the process had been inclusive, adding that stakeholders had participated in verifying ballot papers and witnessing the various stages of production.
“We are dealing with a company that has been printing our papers, I think, for the last two or three elections. And so, from my experience and what I’ve seen so far, the quality is very good. And importantly to say that the process itself was very credible, and I’ll give my reason: consultative, inclusive and transparent. And how do I come to this? I come to this because when we came here, all of us as stakeholders have participated in verifying the papers that came from Lusaka. Apart from that, we have all witnessed how the printing is done, and how the serialisation is done, stapling and making of the books, and then cutting, and after cutting packaging them. All of us have witnessed these processes. So my message to the Zambians is that they must be assured by this party, the governing [party], that as far as we are concerned and from what we have seen so far, the process of printing the [ballot] papers here in Dubai is credible, consultative, inclusive and transparent. So our people can be assured that the right thing is being done by ECZ,” said Dr Sakahilu.
Tonse Alliance observer Professor Nkandu Luo, who is representing the Resolute Party, noted that stakeholders had sought clarification during the exercise and received satisfactory explanations from the printing company and ECZ.
“Our coming here is not a joke. And I think we have been very, very clear in our stay here in Dubai to make sure that we assure the people of Zambia that whatever is taking place here is transparent and credible. And to such, some of us have been a bit overzealous asking questions. And as we ask them, of course, there were some flares of tempers by some of the people, but I think what is very clear, the common thread, is that whatever we ask, whenever we were seeking clarity, we were given the clarity that we desired. And secondly, the company itself, they have no vested interest. For them, it’s a business. They just want to make their money. Whenever we are putting on the table that we need to see what is going on, they’ve been very clear and allowed us to see whatever we want to see. The process is not finished. We still have a lot of work to do, but so far, I think we’ve been satisfied. In English, you say so far, so good. But let’s wait and see what happens over the next few days. And we’ve been assured that by the 15th, everything will be done (printing) and the packaging will continue. And by the 25th, the shipment to Zambia will start,” said Prof Luo.
NRPUP observer George Chisanga said the team had recorded some level of satisfaction with the process from the time they arrived in Dubai to witness the printing exercise.
And Zambia Agency for Persons with Disabilities (ZAPD) Director General Frankson Musukwa commended the Commission for promoting inclusivity through the printing of more than 13,000 Braille jackets for visually impaired voters.
Meanwhile, SACCORD Executive Director Arthur Muyunda and representatives from the Citizens First party and Leadership Movement echoed similar sentiments, describing the ballot printing process as credible, transparent and inclusive.
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