PF QUERIES ECZ GLITCHES

The ruling party has also asked the ECZ to sort out the technical glitches in some areas.
Patriotic Front deputy secretary general Mumbi has said claims that the ECZ allocated more registration kits to Southern and Western provinces leaving out more populated areas are worrying and it should clear the matter for the sake of transparency.
She also complained that some ECZ officials operating in Lusaka were doing so with a “laissez-faire” attitude and asked management to intervene.
“In Matero, which is a 24-hour centre, officers wanted to knock off at midnight,” Ms Phiri said when she featured on Millennium Radio yesterday.
Ms Phiri said for the sake of transparency, the ECZ should explain the allocation of kits to various areas so that the matter is rested.
She said that centres in opposition strongholds did not appear to have technical challenges like those in PF strongholds where glitches were too common.
And Ms Phiri has also asked the ECZ to consider extension of the voter registration period because the process in most areas delayed to start by about four days. She said it was important to extend the electoral registration process so as to allow as many people as possible to register.
Ms Phiri also said concerns raised by Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) president, Andrew Ntewewe on why Southern Province should have more kits and record more numbers than Lusaka should be looked into.
“People should not question what Mr Ntewewe is saying because he is not funded by the PF but his NGO is just like that of Ms Linda Kasonde, Mr McDonald Chipenzi and my sister-in-law Laura Miti therefore if he sees something fishy he has every right to question because he is Zambian,” Ms Phiri said.
“Mr Ntewewe should not be tied to the Patriotic From simply because he has seen something fishy just like I have also seen, why should 306 equipment be taken to Southern Province and over 200 to Western Province leaving out Lusaka and Copperbelt with higher populations,” she said.
Ms Phiri noted that the ECZ was disadvantaging the people of Lusaka with its faulty process that had been witnessed in the capital when the process has been smooth in Southern Province. She said that if such happenings had happened in Petauke or other PF strongholds, there could have been so many complaints and allegations from the opposition political parties.
Ms Phiri has however said the PF and other stakeholders will continue to engage the ECZ so as to improve the voter registration process.
She said the PF respected the autonomy of the ECZ.