NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile says questions are being raised whether the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) was trying to rectify the alleged pre-marked ballot papers using a ‘tick’ by directing voters to use a ‘tick’ when voting.
Addressing a media briefing, Mundubile said Zambians have always know to use an “x” when voting as opposed to the tick which the ECZ was talking about.
He said the commission must immediately remove any contradiction in its voter education messages.
He said this was important because people lived in an environment where issues of loose ballot boxes, marked ballot papers, saying people began to wonder when “strange things” from what the statute books provided were being introduced.
“Others have asked questions, could it be that the said marked ballots were marked with the wrong marks, in this case a tick, and the people behind it later realised that there was a mistake and they are now trying to rectify that by what we are calling administrative arbitrariness, introducing new marks to qualify what would ordinarily be an invalid ballot?” he asked.
Mundubile said millions of Zambians would go to polling stations to vote on Thursday, and that at this critical hour nothing should be introduced to confuse citizens and bring uncertainty or fear into the electoral process.
He said no confusion should be introduced about how Zambians mark ballot papers as over the years they have understood the simple instruction by placing an x on the correct candidate.
He said they were concerned by the itroduction at this late stage that voters should use a stick.
“The question is why introduce uncertainty only days before an election? An election is not the time to experiment with voter instructions,” Mundubile said. “We are therefore asking the Electoral Commission of Zambia to maintain a clear, uniform and familiar message to the people of Zambia. Mark an x clearly in the box of a candidate of your choice.”
He said regulations governing the electoral process stipulate what should constitute a valid mark. He said they were concerned that ECZ was coming up with other marks that may not necessarily be covered under the regulations.
He said any veering from that constituted an invalid vote.
He said no voter should arrive at the polling station wondering whether they should use a tick (✓) or an x, a line or some other symbol.
Mundubile said ECZ had been conducting voter education for the past two years, and wondered how they could now come up and introduce new marks.
Mundubile also said the results of the elections must be announced without unnecessary delay.
He said votes were counted at polling stations immediately after the close of polling, and observers and monitors were present during the counting process, therefore, there should be no unnecessary delays to announce the results.
Mundubile said these were modern times with mobile telecommunication to allow information to move from one side of Zambia to the other parts within seconds.
“Delays create suspicion. Delays create opportunities for misinformation. And unnecessary delays can undermine public confidence in an otherwise electoral process,” he said.
He said every polling stations results must be protected.
He said in the closing stages of the campaign they have witnessed a disturbing pattern of arrests and detentions of individuals associated with their political activity, media work and public commentary.
He said those arrested included Chester, Mr Felix IDC, Martha Lungu and Hannah Israel including the 32 personnel that were arrested in Mongu.
He said events were happening at the close of the campaigns when parties must be free to communicate with voters.
He said they were happening after their campaign had received repeated obstacles in Mongu, Solwezi, Kitwe, Ndola among others.
Mundubile said in Luampa their convoy was stoned by suspected UPND cadres.
