Zambian opp. asks for removal of chief election officer

By Francis Maingaila

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Several leaders of the opposition parties that took part in the Aug. 11 general election have asked for the removal of the chief election officer and an information technology (IT) expert from overseeing the election after an unauthorized person was allegedly allowed to enter the results verification room carrying polls from unknown sources.

Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi told the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) that election results being announced were not corresponding to those obtained from polling stations as given to them by their agents.

“We suspect that, unauthorized persons being allowed to enter the result verification room by the commission officials are illegally taking results which we have no knowledge of,” she said

On Friday, police arrested an unidentified person who was caught trying to sneak into the verification rooms at the national results center with alleged vote counts from polling station outside Lusaka.

He was suspected of intending to swap results coming in the center by fax with others.

“I wonder why the chief election officer and her IT specialist allowed an unauthorized person to enter the verification room with results in his hands,” Martha Mushipe, a lawyer representing the opposition United party for National Development (UPND) told the Electoral Commission.

Mushipe added party agents were denied generic forms used to verify the results received at the national results center in Lusaka.

“In the absence of these verification forms, it is difficult for any party to establish whether the results announced by the commission reflect a true picture of what was recorded in polling stations as captured by agents,” she said.

“We demand therefore, that, the commission removes the chief election officer immediately because she is biased.”

Commission chairman Justice Esau Chulu told stakeholders that the commission will investigate the matter and relevant action will be taken against any person accused of fraud should the complaint raised be found to have merit.

“If the proof is convincing enough, I shall not hesitate to take action against any one of my officers involved in a scandal,” he said.

Meanwhile, the latest results announcement has placed President Edgar Lungu in the marginal lead of 19,335 votes scored in 29 constituencies

Justice Chulu told reporters that President Edgar Lungu scored a total of 262,149 votes against his closest rival of the United Party for National Development Hakainde Hichilema who had 243,792 votes.

“The results announced so far are from the 29 constituencies from the 156 constituencies,” Chulu stated.