ECZ PREPARES FOR NOMINATIONS

ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Patrick Nshindano  told journalists in Lusaka that it was preparing to receive nominations from candidates countrywide vying for the positions of President, Member of Parliament, Mayor, Chairperson and Councillor Mr Nshindano said the ECZ recently conducted training of district elections officers countrywide, focusing on legal qualifications and requirements for a candidate to participate in an election. He advised all stakeholders who wish to monitor nominations that the exercise will take place from May 10 to 14, this year. Mr Nshindano said the monitors for the nominations will be required to be sponsored by an organisation which is active in matters of governance. He said only two persons per sponsoring organisation will be accredited to observe the nomination process in each constituency to lessen the spread of Colvid-19. “Not more than 10 persons at a time will be allowed to enter to monitor nominations at each nomination centre,” he said. Meanwhile, Mr Nshindano has announced that the campaign period will start on May 12 and end on August 11 this year. He said that printing of ballot papers will commence after the period of nomination petitions if at all there will be any. Mr Nshindano said this is in line with article 52 (4) of the constitution which provides for a nomination to be challenged within seven days after the close of nominations.  And  the ECZ says presidential candidates who will be taking part in the August 12 general election will not have to transport all their 1, 000 supporters to Lusaka to have them processed. Stakeholders had raised concern over the ferrying of presidential candidates’ supporters to Lusaka for the purpose processing their details before the nomination day. Patriot Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) leader, Sean Tembo, had said most political parties were going to fail to transport 1, 000 supporters to one centre, in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. But ECZ Corporate Affairs Manager, Patricia Luhanga, said there is a component in the Election calendar which spells out how the pre- processing of supporters for presidential candidates is going to be done. She explained that presidential candidates would not need to ferry their supporters to Mulungushi International Conference Centre but instead the exercise would be done at provincial centres. “Instead of having all the 1, 000 supporters coming to Mulungushi International Conference Centre to be processed, they will be processed at provincial centres to make it easy for candidates to have their supporters processed,” she said. Ms Luhanga said on exactly how the pre-processing exercise will be done, the ECZ would give guidance.