PRESS
STATEMENT
The Coalition 2001 monitored this year’s elections at different levels. The most critical was the general assessment of the political situation in the country, followed by close monitoring of the media and political party performance. On the election day, we had monitors at polling stations (where we were allowed). We also had roving monitors and we continued to monitor the media, and most important, the manner in which the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) conducted the election.
Coalition 2001 strongly protests against the involvement of foreign nationals in processing computer election results at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre. The protest is based on the need to uphold transparency among stakeholders and the fact that Zambia has sufficient human resource for the job. We also remain concerned by the allegations that the voters’ cards grabbed from soldiers who went to Sierra Leone were given to a named Political Party. Similarly, claims by ‘call-boys’ on the Copperbelt that they were promised money if they voted using uncollected voters’ cards remains a major concern.
We must therefore not take lightly speculations that election results may be tampered with. There are several incidences that could point to rigging of this election, some of which I have already pointed out in the past few days. I shall now relay some of these incidences to you as received from our monitors.
At Chasefu and Lumezi, voting started on 29th December 2001. No explanation whatsoever was given by the Electoral Commission regarding this matter. In Matero, one presiding officer was arrested for tampering with ballot boxes. From Mandevu, we received allegations that one presiding officer was whisked away by some Special Branch personnel in an unknown OP vehicle around 02:30 hours on 29th December 2001. He has allegedly since been replaced. In Munali, votes had to be recounted because of a mix-up of Parliamentary and Presidential ballots.
Another surprising point is that results from some far-flung places have already been announced whereas those from certain nearby areas have not been announced at all. Examples of places close by whose results had not been announced by yesterday include Keembe, Chisamba, Mumbwa, Mandevu, Chilanga, Katuba and Monze.
Procedure for relaying election results
The Electoral Commission has been taking too long to print out the updated Presidential election results. Such incompetence is not called for at this stage of our democratic process. One can only describe the behaviour of the electoral commission in the past one year, and especially in the last one week as bizarre. It is a fact that the crisis relating to election results centers around certain levels of incompetence or lack of professionalism exhibited by sections of the civil service. Coalition 2001 wishes to appeal to the civil service and all security wings of government to ensure that fairness and equity is upheld in spite of the understandable sectarian or partisan interests.
We also wish to state that Coalition 2001 noted that the procedure for transmitting election results was not clearly defined by the Electoral Commission and therefore lacked transparency. There is no clear explanation as to how ECZ was receiving results from constituencies. For example, some of ballot boxes in Mkushi North Constituency had not been collected by 11:00 hours yesterday because the electoral officers there were waiting for transportation to ferry them to the Central Verification Point. In some instances, the process was conducted on premises that did not have adequate security or facilities. There are reports indicating that in some polling stations ballot boxes were diverted to unofficial sites. Due to the fact that in some places, monitors, observers and agents did not have access to monitor what was going on, the counting and tabulation process raises doubts as to the legitimacy of the electoral process.
It would appear that the current method of transmitting these results was fraught with loopholes that may lead to election rigging. How transparent was the procedure for relaying election results to ECZ headquarters? Was there room for the results to be doctored? If so, what measures were in place to counter such doctoring?
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has dismally failed to answer these questions and is guilty of fanning suspicion in the Zambian people regarding these elections. As the body charged with the conduct of elections, the ECZ is duty-bound to instill confidence in the electoral process. We cannot be blamed for speculating that such unprecedented incidences create an environment conducive to election rigging. Coalition 2001 is outraged that the ECZ has blinded itself to this state of affairs.
The categorization by ZNBC of NOCE and ZIMT as election analysts is unfair considering the fact that both NGOs have openly supported calls for an unconstitutional third term for outgoing Republican President Frederick Chiluba. NOCE and ZIMT have also been accused of being involved in an election rigging scheme. They cannot therefore purport to be impartial in their analysis of these elections and ZNBC cannot purport to categorise them as such.
While we know that it is not right for any presidential candidate to declare himself or herself winner before the last vote is counted, it is worthy to note that some candidates have been torn-apart by the media and other institutions for speaking in a manner that suggests that they have won, while other candidates are let scot free. So we ask where is the fairness and objectivity?
In
addition, Coalition 2001 has noted that the public media continues to be
biased in the manner in which it has been reporting election results to
the Zambian electorate. All sections of the media need to bear in mind
the role of the media in every election, especially one as important as
this one. The media has the duty of informing the public in a factual and
unbiased approach what the conduct and results of the election are. The
bias by these sections of the media is not helpful to Zambia’s democracy
at all.
Issued by: Coalition Information Unit
Authorised by: Ngande Mwanajiti
Date: 31st December, 2001.
Lusaka