Maravi

Govt Printers can print ballot papers - Mike

Govt Printers can print ballot papers - Mike
By Ernest Chanda
Wed 03 Aug. 2011, 14:00 CAT

MIKE Mulongoti says ECZ is lying about its move to have ballot papers printed in South Africa instead of the exercise being done locally.

Disputing an Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) advertisement in Monday’s edition of the state-owned but government-controlled Zambia Daily Mail which said that Government Printers did not have the capacity to do so, Mulongoti, who is former works and supply minister, said at the time he was leaving the ministry, Government Printers had already printed sample ballot papers which were approved by both the government and ECZ.

“The same advertisement is saying that Hon Namulambe took over office on 10th of March 2010. No, he took over in March 2011, and he has only been there a few months. They are also saying that Government Printers was supposed to tender for the printing of ballot papers. Look, that is not correct.

Government Printers was established for purposes of printing government work, and the printing of ballot papers is government work,” Mulongoti explained.

“How were they expected to tender, competing with the private when the reason they were established was to do that particular job? It can only be done if they've no capacity. But I can tell you, it’s a lie. I did ask Government Printers to invite the manufacturers of the equipment that they have to come from China; they came, assessed and tested it. A Zambian delegation went to China to go and see from the factory where machines are manufactured so that they could appreciate if they had difficulties and whatever. Another delegation went to England to look at how to service other related equipment associated with the job; they went and came back.”

Mulongoti said he and other ministry officials approached the franchise holders for Xerox machines which are used for printing ballot papers in South Africa.

Mulongoti said he was shocked to hear that ECZ had contracted a South African firm when Government Printers or other local companies could have done the job.

“At the time I was leaving the ministry, they had already printed samples of ballot papers which they distributed to my office and to the electoral commission and all these. Now tell me if you have equipment which is not working, if you have equipment which is not ready, why print sample ballot papers? Sample ballot papers is an indication that you are showing your capacity to do the job,” he said.

“I am shocked to be told that the machines are unable to print because they printed the sample ballot papers which were not condemned by either my office or the electoral commission. They carried all the features that are necessary on the ballot papers. So I don't know at what point those machines broke down because they had not even done the job they were expected to do, which is printing of ballot papers.”

Mulongoti said even when he raised certain issues in his letter to ECZ, he did not mean that the commission should look for money to repair the machines.

He said all he did was solicit for ECZ support as his ministry requested for extra money from the Treasury.

“It is not the electoral commission who were going to get that money. We were notifying them that for us to get this job, this is what we needed. And of course they had to be in the know because the exercise was their exercise. At no point was I told that there is no money and that we are going to subcontract this. After giving me the sample of the ballot papers, I was satisfied that we were ready. So I do not believe in what they are saying,” said Mulongoti.

“But we will proceed to find out whether or not the reasons they are giving are genuine. And I still insist that it can be done here. The machines that are here in Zambia some of them are able to do 250 pages per minute. To print four million ballot papers you just need a day. It would cut the cost of hiring equipment as they are doing in South Africa.”

According to the advertisement released by ECZ in the Zambia Daily Mail on Monday this week, the commission was claiming that Government Printers had no capacity to print ballot papers.

Labels: ECZ, MIKE MULONGOTI

posted by MrK @ 7:59 PM