23 June 2011
The Centre for Elections and Governance has condemned Caritas Zambia and other civil society organisations (CSOs) pushing to monitor this year’s elections using the parallel vote tabulation (PVT) system.
At a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, centre chairperson Gershom Musonda said it was unfair for the CSOs to continue insisting that they wanted to monitor the elections using PVT.
Mr Musonda said the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) should be concerned about organisations intending to monitor the polls using the PVT system because they had hidden agendas which needed to be investigated.
Mr Musonda has appealed to ECZ to call an urgent meeting and explain to stakeholders what PVT was all about.
“We asked ECZ to allow civil society organisations to send their representatives to various polling stations for purposes of monitoring elections and we were allowed.
“We sit with ECZ officials and witness the counting. Is this not what we wanted? We are now wondering what those calling for the PVT want ECZ to do,” he said.
And Mr Musonda urged Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II of the Soli people in Chongwe to stop inciting people against the MMD in her chiefdom
but play the role of adviser and not a politician.
He said the traditional leader’s attitude towards the ruling party was becoming dangerous and might be a recipe for political tension if it was not checked.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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Zambia: NGO Chides Caritas, Others Over PVT