By PETER SICHALI
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) will only publish information relating to nominated candidates after consolidation, Corporate Affairs Manager Patricia Luhanga has said.
Ms Luhanga said ECZ would only publish personal information including assets declared by candidates once the court cases were disposed of.
She said the ECZ had not yet published any information relating to nominated candidates because of the petitions that were in court.
“We want to be consistent in whatever we are doing, we do not want to publish incomplete information,” Ms Luhanga said.
She said the ECZ would publish all the necessary information on nominated candidates vying for various political offices as and when it was ready.
“On assets declared by those vying for various offices, we will guide at an appropriate time,” Ms Luhanga said.
Meanwhile, Inter Africa Governance Network (AFRINET) Executive Director, Maurice Malambo, said it was important for ECZ to immediately publish declared assets by nominated candidates.
He said the information given to the ECZ by those aspiring for public office should not be kept secret.
“The declaration of assets by candidates is not for the ECZ but for the public therefore it should not be kept secret,” Mr Malambo said.
On Thursday, Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) president Robert Mwanza said the ECZ must explain to Zambians why it has kept assets declared by political leaders who filed for the August 12 election a secret when they are supposed to be accessed freely by the public for scrutiny.
Mr Mwanza said declared assets must be freely accessed so that the electorate could judge the integrity of leaders seeking public office.
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