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This year’s polls will only be credible with PVT - FES

This year’s polls will only be credible with PVT - FES
By Roy Habaalu
Thu 19 May 2011, 04:01 CAT

THIS year’s elections will only be credible if the government allowed the use of the parallel vote tabulation, says FES. Frederich Ebert Stiftung (FES) resident director Heiner Naumann said the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) was a highly accepted means of providing checks and balances during an election.

“Elections will be much more credible if the government allows the use of PVT. I haven’t heard any serious argument why PVT should not be allowed,” said Naumann. “PVT, if professionally conducted, can help create higher acceptance to published results. There shouldn’t be any reason why figures should differ.”

President Rupiah Banda has warned advocates of the use of PVT in the forthcoming presidential elections that anyone computing and tabulating results of the polls would be committing a criminal
offence.

But Naumann said it was worrying that some political parties were viewed as enemies and not competitors. He said it was relevant that a national consensus was arrived at in dealing with national issues.

Naumann said politicians should influence their supporters to stick to democratic rules and peaceful elections. He said those seeking power to rule the country should address high poverty and unemployment levels.

The Law Association of Zambia recently joined the debate over the PVT and declared that there was nothing illegal about the system despite President Banda’s insistence that it was criminal.

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, FRIEDRICH EBERT STIFTUNG, VOTERIGGING

posted by MrK @ 1:34 PM