(LUSAKATIMES) ECZ embarks on programmes to review election manuals

ECZ embarks on programmes to review election manuals
January 26, 2009

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has started reviewing its election manuals in a bid to enhance the credibility of holding elections in the country.

ECZ chairperson Justice Florence Mumba disclosed this when she officially opened a post-election workshop of the 2008 presidential election held at Moto-Moto Pastoral Centre in Kasama today.

In a speech read for her by ECZ manager for Elections and Voter Education Jocelyn Mubita, Justice Mumba named the election manuals under review as those relating to electoral officers at all levels respectively.

She noted that since electoral officers play a critical role in elections, ECZ decided to consult them in order to come up with user friendly handbooks.

Justice Mumba has since urged electoral officers to ensure that they actively participate in the formulation of new election manuals in order to add credibility to the way elections are held in the country.

And Justice Mumba has called on all electoral officers from Northern Province to provide the ECZ with accurate and comprehensive information of how last year’s presidential election was conducted in the region.

She said ECZ decided to hold post-mortem workshops of the last Presidential election in order to learn from the shortcomings noticed and make necessary improvements for future elections.

Justice Mumba expressed optimism that the feedback from stakeholders would help the ECZ to improve on its performance of holding credible elections in the country.

Justice Mumba further advised her staff facilitating the post-election workshops to be attentive and allow the participants to highlight the challenges they faced during the last presidential election so that they could obtain useful information of bettering the electioneering process in the country.

The three-day post-election review workshop in Kasama has attracted electoral officers from all the 12 districts in Northern Province, who took part in the 2008 presidential election..

Meanwhile ,the Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has maintained that the 50 per-cent plus one vote for a presidential holder should be enshrined in the new republican constitution in order to curb regional voting in the country.

AVAP executive director Bonnie Tembo said the 50 per cent plus one vote for a winning presidential candidate is a progressive idea especially for a democratic country like Zambia.

Mr. Tembo was speaking in Kasama during a stakeholders meeting held at AVAP governance house over the weekend.

He urged Zambians to support the popular mode of electing a republican president unlike the current system of a simple majority.

Mr. Tembo noted that incidences of people choosing a president on tribal lines would be curtailed once the top two (2) presidential candidates go for a re-run in case the first round polls does not come with a clear-cut winner.

The AVAP director also dismissed arguments from some sections of society that the exercise was costly saying it was a better a have a legitimate president elected by a majority vote than have minority one.

Mr. Tembo further urged National Constitutional Conference (NCC) delegates to be objective and conduct their debates above partisan lines if the country is to come up with a people-driven republican constitution.

And , Mr. Tembo has revealed that his organization will this year advocate for amendment of the current electoral code of conduct in order to make it more enforceable.

He explained that during last year’s presidential election, political parties and other stakeholders breached the code of conduct but that no action being taken against them.

The AVAP director further urged Zambians to actively participate in the electoral reform process in order to enhance the credibility of elections in the country.

ZANIS/WS/MKM/ENDS