Maravi

ECZ to use new code of conduct

ECZ to use new code of conduct
By Agness Changala
Mon 20 June 2011, 09:40 CAT

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says the revised Electoral Code of Conduct will be used in this year's elections. And ECZ director Priscilla Isaacs said the future of the country is dependent on who is elected as a leader.

In an interview after she closed a three-day workshop on youth involvement in the electoral process in Lusaka last Thursday, Isaacs said the revised electoral code of conduct would be published before end of June.

?It will definitely be used in this year?s elections," she said.
And Isaacs said it was important that youths appreciate the importance of being part of the electoral process because they were the leaders of tomorrow.
Isaacs said the commission chose to target the youths in the workshop because of their influence in society.

She said youths would help change public perception where it was negative and help the commission to conduct voter education campaigns to ensure maximum turn out in elections.

Isaacs said it was important to have maximum turn out in elections because in the past, there were complaints that few people participate in the process.
?And we have the first past the post today, so it is important that every registered voter takes interest and cast their vote so that they are part of selecting the leaders of their choice," she said.

"Of course there will be winners and losers and the majority gets it but the most important thing is that people should not waste their vote but take part in the election.?
She said it was impressive to know that over one million voters on the register were youths.

?We have registered provisionally 5,233,316 million voters, and this is an update from the last registration that we had in 2005 where we had 3.9 million,? Isaacs said.

Meanwhile, the ECZ would procure satellite phones to be used for communication by officers in the field in this year?s elections.

Isaacs said those areas that do not have network coverage of the three mobile phone service providers, would use satellite phones to ensure what is happening in the field was known.

?In the past the problem that has been there is lack of communication, especially when there are problems in the field that cause the delay of results being delivered to totalling centres,? she said.

Isaacs said with satellite phones in the field, the commission would be able to keep track of what is happening in the field at any given time and be able to give an informed update to the nation.

She said all those who were left out in the voter?s register were being captured.

?Right now we are doing a physical check of all the hardcopies of voters? details against the database to ensure that nobody is left erroneously out of the voters? roll,? said Isaacs.

Labels: ECZ

posted by MrK @ 5:51 PM