Maravi

UN coordinator explains PVT

UN coordinator explains PVT
By Moses Kuwema
Fri 08 Apr. 2011, 04:12 CAT

UNITED Nations resident coordinator Kanni Wignaraja says she does not understand what the big fuss on Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) is all about. In an interview, Wignaraja said PVT was all about tabulating the already announced results that were in public domain.

“Countries decide whether to go with using Parallel Vote Tabulation as one mechanism to just aggregate votes that are already counted and in the public domain, I can't say I understand at all what the big fuss is about. One way or the other because some countries prefer that they will use it, other countries prefer that they will go around with papers and pencils and just write down the elections, most countries do it with cell phones,” Wignaraja said.

“Now the key to me is not the conversation around PVT, the conversation is the primacy of both the vote count and reporting of the results and announcing results is to the Electoral Commission of Zambia, no one else because the ECZ is the constitutionally, well-established and well-regarded principal and that is what is paramount.”

And Wignaraja said the media has a big role to play in ensuring a very credible, open and transparent election. She said this called for responsible reporting. She said the media also had a role to play in voter education in order for people to exercise their rights to vote and that they could only do this if they understood issues by looking at their challenges and their opportunities.

“People need to know what they are voting for and this is a critical role of the media, they should report on the progress achieved, where things need to be pushed in a very responsible manner. That is the critical role of the media in an electoral process,” Wignaraja said.

She said the key for the UN systems in Zambia was ensuring that the process of democracy keeps on getting stronger.

“We shall continue to be here through to elections to come and all the local and international organisations, both state and none-state, engage actively in the electoral process,” said Wignaraja.

Labels: KANNI WIGNARAJA, UN, VOTERIGGING

posted by MrK @ 4:29 PM