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(STICKY) MMD stole our votes - Sata

MMD stole our votes - Sata
By Chibaula Silwamba and Mwala Kalaluka
Wed 27 Oct. 2010, 04:10 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata yesterday charged that the MMD stole his candidate’s votes in the Mpulungu parliamentary by-election and that the party will petition the results.

And a consortium of civil society organisations that monitored the Mpulungu by-election have noted with great concern that the electorate in the area were being promised to vote for the MMD on the basis that it controls the country’s national resources.

Meanwhile, the MMD’s campaign manager in the Mpulungu by-election, Kapembwa Simbao, yesterday said the string of losses that the MMD suffered in the previous by-elections around the country is not healthy for a ruling party.

In an interview in reaction to the electoral victory of MMD candidate Given Mung’omba against PF’s Freedom Sikazwe, Sata said the PF had overwhelming evidence that the ruling party was involved in electoral malpractices.

“Those are our votes, they have just stolen it (the election). We have requested for a recount and whatever will come out of the recount, we are going to petition the results. They have swapped the results. We are going for a recount and will petition the results,” Sata vowed.

“The Minister of Community Development Michael Kaingu was openly distributing foodstuffs and money. That will be our ground to petition. We are not going to spare them.”

The MMD candidate Given Mung'omba was declared winner after polling 5,003 against the PF's 4,419. Others in the race were NAREP with 331, UNIP 112 and ADD with 62 votes. Sata accused the Zambia Security Intelligence Services (ZSIS) and Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) of stuffing “fake votes” in the final nine ballot boxes.

However, Sata said the ECZ had blocked the PF’s attempts to seek a recount and verification of the votes, contrary to the provisions of the law.

“We have already hit the first obstacle; Mpulungu council secretary said we need a court order to do a recount and yet the electoral Act says the candidate can apply for a recount. The ECZ said they don’t want any recount but if you want any recount, go and petition,” said Sata.

“We are fighting; we will even go to the High Court because we have overwhelming evidence to prove that the MMD stole the vote, and we are going to get it back.”

And the Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP), Caritas Zambia and SACCORD, observed in a press statement yesterday, that they had noted several concerns in the just-ended Mpulungu by-election. They stated that the decision by ECZ to change the date from the initial October 28 to October 30, 2010 had caused a lot of uncertainty among key stakeholders.

The organisations noted that although the campaign period was generally peaceful, it was characterised by a number of electoral malpractices and that it was a terrain heavily contested by the MMD and PF. They noted further that there were accusations and counter-accusations of fraud and corruption during the electoral campaign and that the electorate were deprived of issued-based campaigns, which would have inspired them to go and cast votes. The organisations also noted with concern that on polling day itself, two MMD cadres were arrested for violating electoral laws.

“We note with great concern that a named candidate went around intimidating electoral officials trying to force them to sign party agents’ letters of oath at polling stations,” they stated in part.

“The turnout was generally low, especially in the rural areas. It was also observed that there appeared to have been high illiteracy levels, leading to many voters requiring assistance when voting.”

The monitors stated that the ECZ still had a lot of challenges to transport results from far-flung areas.

“The Electoral Code of Conduct was observed in breach by participating political parties and their candidates,” they stated.

“There was also a lot of abuse of GRZ vehicles by the District Commissioners.”

They stated in part that although the police enforced the public order Act in a professional manner, there was a notable shunning of opposition parties’ rallies by the police. The organisations again noted that media coverage still remained a great source of concern.

“It was noted with great concern that traditional leaders were openly siding with the ruling party,” they stated.

“It can be stated that the elections reflected the will of the electorate. However, we note with great concern that voters were being promised development if they voted for the MMD because they have control of national resources.”

Meanwhile, in an interview after Mpulungu by-election returning officer Charles Nyirongo declared MMD’s Mung’omba winner of the by-election at Mpulungu Civic Centre around 11:26 hours yesterday, Simbao said the people of Mpulungu had broken the MMD’s losing jinx. National Restoration Party (NAREP) candidate Alex Mwazya came third with 331 votes, while UNIP’s Germanico Simusokwe tallied 112 voters and the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) candidate Chilowela Sinyangwe got a paltry 62 votes.

The declaration of the winner in the by-election was delayed to late morning because of results that were being awaited from Fundamali and Chipako polling stations across Lake Tanganyika. Simbao said the MMD was relieved by its victory in the parliamentary poll following the string of losses that the party had suffered in previous by-elections around the country.

In Chilanga, UPND’s Capt Cosmas Moono was elected area member of parliament after he polled 3,702 votes, beating his nearest competitor Keith Mukata of the MMD, who got 2, 339 votes. Others in the Chilanga parliamentary polls were UNIP’s Henry Silumesi with 131 votes while NAREP’s Valarie Bwalya only managed 50 votes.

Earlier on Monday night, a contingent of about 100 police officers manning Chilanga Basic School, which was the tally centre for the Chilanga parliamentary by-elections, barred journalists working for the private and state media except ZNBC from covering the totaling of the results at the instigation of the ECZ on claims that they were not accredited.

Journalists from The Post, QFM, Muvi Television, Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail and Hot FM among others were kept at the roadside for at least seven hours on Monday night under tight police guard after they were blocked from entering the tally centre. Efforts by the journalists, Siavonga member of parliament Douglas Syakalima, UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa and pro-media freedom members of the public to reason with police officers to allow media practitioners to enter the tally centre were unsuccessful.

When contacted by phone, ECZ spokesperson Chris Akufuna was not of help to the journalists, insisting that they would only be allowed entry if they produced accreditation cards issued by the ECZ, and later his phone was off. Syakalima charged that it was unethical and tyrannical for ECZ to bar journalists from covering totaling of results.

Syakalima wondered why the ECZ and Zambia Police had barred journalists. “You are supposed to observe and write about what is obtaining there. Now, you are going to speculate and I can see so many police officers sleeping here hungry. The police should allow you to go and do your work,” Syakalima said.

“All these things we are seeing now are actually signs of a failed state. The Electoral Commission of Zambia, out of this act, because they have failed to do what they wanted to do, they are trying to stop you from reporting what is happening.” He said the conduct of ECZ officials against journalists was a tragedy to Zambia.

“I would call upon ECZ chairperson judge Florence Mumba, with the due respect that I give her, let her step down out of what has obtained here,” said Syakalima.

“I know this will look like demanding for too much but you as journalists; even Florence Mumba herself should be ashamed if she hears this, because I don’t think she is involved in all this nonsense of refusing journalists to go and report what you can see. The results are plain. Even in the midst of cruelty and dictatorial countries, they have allowed journalists to move around and report.”

After the announcement was made in the tally room by the returning officer, UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma came to the roadside to avail the results to the barred journalists and UPND supporters.

Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, DOUGLAS SYAKALIMA, GIVEN MUNG'OMBA, MICHAEL SATA, MMD, MPULUNGU

posted by MrK @ 2:20 PM