OPENING REMARKS BY THE COMMISSION CHAIRPERSON HON. JUSTICE IRENE MABILIMA AT THE MEETING WITH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND THEIR PARTY OFFICIALS HELD AT MULUNGUSHI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE ON 10 th DECEMBER 2014 All Aspiring Presidential Candidates Political Party Officials Commission Members and Staff Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen, On behalf of the Commission and Staff, I wish to welcome you all to this important briefing for the aspiring Presidential Candidates for the 2015 Presidential election. As we are all aware, following the demise of our late President His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata who passed away on 28 th October 2014, His Honour the Acting President Dr. Guy Scott, announced the date for the Presidential election which is the 20 th of January 2015. This was followed by the announcement by the Electoral Commission of Zambia of the dates for nominations for the forth-coming Presidential election which were set for 17 th, 18 th and 19 th of December, 2014. We now have eleven parties that have confirmed that they will float presidential candidates. The time table has now gone up to Saturday 20 th of December 2014. It is now clear that we will extend the period for receipt of nominations. It is our hope that by close of business today, all those who want to come on 1
board will indicate their intention so that we can ascertain when nomination will close. This briefing is aimed at taking you through the nomination process so that you are conversant with the requirements and what is expected of you. Aspiring Presidential candidates will be expected to bring with them their National Registration Cards, duly completed and attested statutory form of declaration of assets and liabilities, oath/affirmation of Zambian Citizenship, declaration of compliance to the Electoral Code of Conduct (ECC I) and nomination papers subscribed before the Returning Officer, who is also the Chief Justice, on the set dates between 09:00 hours and 17:00 hours at the Supreme Court of Zambia. Aspiring Candidates are also expected to present sponsorship letters from their respective political parties. In accordance with the law, there are no independent candidates in a Presidential election. All candidates have to be members of, or sponsored by a political party. 2
May I also remind all candidates that you are required to bring along with you 200 supporters who must be registered voters. The supporters may be registered voters from any part of the country. They must have in their possession their green national registration and voters cards which must be presented during the nomination exercise. All aspiring candidates will be required to pay K10, 000.00 (Ten Thousand Kwacha) non-refundable nomination fee. In accordance with the election time table issued by the Commission, aspiring candidates are expected to advise the Commission of the time they wish to lodge their nomination papers. Am aware that a number of political parties have notified the office of the Director, of the date and the time that they wish to lodge in their nominations. So far, the following political parties have confirmed the date and time for the filing in of their candidates nominations: Forum for Democratic Alternatives (FDA) Green Party (GP), Forum for Democracy and Development(FDD), National Restoration Party (NAREP), 4 th Revolution (4R) United Party for National Development (UPND), United National Independence Party (UNIP) United Poor People of Zambia s Freedom Party (UPFP) Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) 3
We are yet to agree with the Patriotic Front on the time and date that their candidate will file for nomination. I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to those political parties that intend to sponsor Presidential candidates and have not yet advised the Commission of the time when they intend to lodge their nominations, to do so during this meeting. As we stated earlier, there will be no extension to the nomination time-table on account of any political party not being ready as we are required to conduct this election within 90 days of the demise of the President. The 90 th day in this case, is 26 th January 2015. The campaign period for these elections commenced on, 19 th November, 2014 and will end at 18:00 hours on 19 th January, 2015. With regard to the conduct of all political parties, candidates, and other stakeholders, the Commission is calling upon all, to conduct themselves in a responsible and peaceful manner during the campaigns which is before the elections, during and after the polls. All peace loving and law abiding citizens must realize that they each have a role to play to contribute to a peaceful transition through the conduct of a peaceful election. Any electoral malpractice should be 4
reported to the Police, Anti-Corruption Commission or any other law enforcement agencies. The Electoral Commission of Zambia will also be on alert to handle any matters of conflict that may arise during this period through Conflict Management Committees that are established at national and district level. As stakeholders, let us all be reminded that we are all guided by the Electoral Code of Conduct and we expect that all players will comply with the provisions of the code. May I at this occasion, reiterate that as political parties you should endeavor to put your organisations in order and assist the Commission in ensuring that the nomination process is conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner. All political parties should give guidance to their cadres to abide by the code of conduct while they campaign for the candidates. The Commission values its interactions with stakeholders and wishes to inform you that we shall continue with similar engagements such as this one whenever need arises. The Commission periodically meets with political parties through the Political Party Liaison 5
Committees. During preparations for the upcoming elections, the Commission has also held briefings with the media and with all District Electoral Officers (Town Clerks and Council Secretaries) who are going to supervise the conduct of elections in the districts on behalf of the Commission. I wish to point out that the Commission has so far made good progress in the preparations for the Presidential election. We have delivered to all districts non-security materials comprising items such as ballot boxes and ballot booths. The Commission has conducted the necessary training of the various aspects of the elections for a diverse group of staff. I therefore want to assure you that the Commission is confident of delivering a successful Presidential election. Let me take this opportunity to inform you that due to the limitation of time, the Commission will not register any new voters before the 20 th of January polls. However the Commission will be issuing voters cards to already registered voters that may have lost their voters cards or had them destroyed. The Commission will open four (4) centres in each constituency for seven (7) days for voter card 6
replacement only. The dates for this exercise are 28 th December, 2014 to 3 rd January, 2015. The centres will be publicised in the media once consultations with the districts are complete. You may also be aware that the Commission recently conducted a delimitation exercise from July to October 2014. I wish to inform you that the findings of the delimitation exercise that was recently carried out are still being compiled and they will have no impact on this election. This means that we will still use the existing 6,456 Polling stations that were utilised to vote in 2011. Further, please note that the Commission has continued with its pilot on the electronic transmission of results from the Polling Station but this will not be used in this Presidential Election. Results from the polling stations will be physically delivered to the 150 constituency centres by the Presiding Officers of the polling stations. The respective Constituency results will then be transmitted electronically to the Commission headquarters and to the National Results Centre at Mulungushi International Conference Centre. Political parties will be given a copy of the results as they are announced both at the polling stations and at constituency centres. The final election result 7
will be declared by the Chief Justice who is the Returning Officer for Presidential Elections. As we prepare for the January 20 th polls, I want to urge all political parties to ensure that their Polling Agents are aware of the procedures for witnessing the proceedings of the polls at the various Polling stations well ahead of the 20 th January, 2015 elections. As such political parties should ensure that the would-be polling agents attend the briefings for polling agents that will be conducted by the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Not more than two (02) political party agents per participating political party shall be allowed to witness counting of votes at a Polling Station. However, only one polling agent per political party will be permitted to be inside a polling station/stream at any given time. All Accreditation will start on the 14 th of December, 2014 and will end on the 18 th of January 2015. Accreditation of political party officials wishing to monitor the election shall only be up to a maximum of twenty (20) members per political party for each constituency. 8
Please note that only a maximum of ten (10) accredited members per political party shall be authorised to represent their respective political parties at the Collation Centre. Finally, each participating political party will be allowed not more than 10 members to observe proceedings at the Presidential Election Results Centre which will be here at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre. With these few words, I wish you the best in your Campaigns and wish you God s blessings as we get into the New Year. I thank you. 9