A senior official of the Electoral Commission of Zambia says the organization is ready to supervise a credible presidential by-election on Tuesday. Official campaigning ends on Monday ahead of the poll. The commission’s director of elections, Priscilla Isaac, says both sensitive and non-sensitive materials have been dispatched to ensure all polling centers across the country can open on time for the vote. “We have really tried to be on top of things and we will be ready to open polling station on time on the 20th,” says Isaac. “We dispatched the last set of ballot papers to the districts – that was Thursday. So all the ballot papers are all in the districts and now just waiting for the deployment to the respective polling stations with the polling staff … We know that everybody will be in place by the 19th at all their respective polling stations, in readiness for the polls on Tuesday.”
She says political parties were part of the verification process of the ballot papers, and that the parties appeared satisfied with the entire process.
Some Zambians have expressed concern about violence after supporters from the ruling Patriotic Front and opposition United Party for National Development clashed in parts of the country in the midst of their campaigns.
Isaac says the electoral body is working with the parties to encourage a halt to such attacks.
Full Article: Zambia Electoral Commission Says Ready to Administer Poll.
