Zambia: U.S. Pours $1 Million Into Polls

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The Times of Zambia (Ndola)

9 October 2008
Posted to the web 9 October 2008

THE United States (US) government has given Zambia US $1 million towards the holding of the October 30 presidential election.

The $1 million would be channelled to Zambia through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Trust Fund to which cooperating partners are contributing towards the election.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) mission director, Melissa Williams said that the funds would enable the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to conduct the elections in a free, fair and transparent manner.

"We are pleased to make this contribution. Free and fair elections are key to maintaining democracy and the American people are committed to assisting democratic countries like Zambia," Ms Williams said in a statement.

She said that the US government was working in partnership with the Zambian Government to further democratic principles and pledged continued support.

She said the US support would enable the commission to address critical areas and deepen democracy including production of voters' register.

Other areas which the fund was expected to cater, were voter education and the dissemination of public information on the election and the electoral regulations.

"With an electoral system that is more transparent and easily accessible, Zambians will be better informed about the electoral process and procedures and be better able to make an informed vote for the candidate of their choice," Ms Williams said.

And about four million presidential ballot papers to be used in the October 30 election have been printed so far, with only half a million remaining to be completed.

This came to light when the Zambian delegation led by ECZ chairperson Florence Mumba went to check on progress at Universal Printing Company (Uniprint) in Durban on Tuesday evening where the ballot papers were currently being printed.

Work is being done simultaneously with stitching and packaging of the electoral materials. The deadline of completion of the printing works is tomorrow.

Stitching and packaging of the presidential ballot papers started last evening.

Company special projects consultant, Vik Vaid told the ECZ chairperson and the delegation members that printing of the remaining 500,000 presidential ballot papers was expected to be completed yesterday and that the entire process would be finalised by tomorrow.

On packaging, Mr Vaid said ballot papers would be packaged according to constituencies and various stakeholders would be given a checklist of data expected on the materials to enable them countercheck.

During the tour, Judge Mumba told stakeholders that the commission was expected to revisit the security features on the ballot papers particularly for the 2011 elections.

Judge Mumba said this would avert possible forgery of ballot papers and noted that the commission would have loved to have implemented this now but was constrained by inadequacy of time.

"ECZ would like to have security features which can be traced to the ballot booklet especially for the 2011 elections to avoid forgery of the electoral materials," Justice Mumba said.

Those in the delegation include ECZ commissioner Jalasi, senior public relations officer, Sylvia Bwalya and other electoral officials.

Political party representatives are MMD's assistant research secretary Felix Mwansa, UPND's defence and security chairperson Captain Moono, Patriotic Front secretary general Edward Mumbi who has since left and Heritage Party's trustee Lorraine Miyanda.

Civil Society representatives are Foundation for Democratic Process (Fodep) president Stanely M'hango, Zambia National Women's Lobby vice chairperson Hellen Kauta Kalikeka and Council of Churches in Zambia general secretary Suzanne Matale who joined the team on Tuesday.

Others are from the Transparency International Zambia (TIZ), Anti-Corruption Commission, Zambia Police and Drug Enforcement Commission.

The ECZ chairperson was expected to return to Zambia yesterday. - Times Reporter/ZANIS

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