By SILUMESI MALUMO
ELECTORAL Commission of Zambia (ECZ) does not require any law to discard an existing voters’ roll in preference to a new one, Patriot for Economic Progress (PEP) has said.
PEP president, Sean Tembo, said that such an action was an administrative one which falls within the mandate of the ECZ as a body responsible for managing the electoral process.
“ECZ does not require any specific law for it to decide when to replace a voter’s roll for a new one or when to start the voter registration process.
“It should be noted that ECZ also does not require any law to employ polling assistants or where to print ballots or when to pay salaries of its staff or when to buy fuel for its vehicles,” Mr Tembo said.
The opposition leader said the argument by some people that there was no law which gives power to ECZ to replace a voters’ roll with a totally fresh one.
“Those arguing must try and take the matter to court and find out how long it will last before being dismissed,” he said.
He said yesterday that Electoral Process number 35 of 2016 provides for validation of a provisional voter’s roll. “My view is that for the act to refer to a provisional voter’s roll then there was an assumption on the part of the legislation that from time to time there shall be a new voter’s roll,” Mr Tembo said.
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