ECZ committed to transparent elections, assures Royd Katongo
By Derrick Sinjela and Ashton Kelly Bunda
Electoral Commission Of Zambia (ECZ) Director Electoral Operation Royd Katongo is reassuring citizens that the electoral body remains committed to continuously provide updates on the progress of activities on the National Electoral Calendar (NEC) leading to the Thursday 12th August 2021 General Election.
During a Tuesday 11th May, 2021 Media and Civil Society Organisations Meeting at Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka witnessed by Electoral Commission of Zambia Management, Staff and Technical Committee on COVID-19 and Elections Members, Mr. Katongo explained that the alluded to interaction was construed to brief citizens on the mandate of the Technical Committee working on COVID-19 prevention measures in the electoral activities and preparations for nominations.
Katongo says the Technical Committee on mainstreaming of COVID-19 prevention measures in the 2021 general election calendar was established following a consultative meeting with the Ministry of Health.
The Technical Committee is tasked to look at modalities of holding the 2021 General Election amid the COVID-19 pandemic has developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aimed at guiding stakeholders’ conduct in relation to the election calendar.
“The SOPs have been developed in due consideration of the following; Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) disaggregated demographic data and how COVID-19 has affected each population segment, legal framework, and stakeholders and structures that will support the cascading of the SOPs and related information According to Ministry of Health, crowds and public gatherings are among the super spreaders of the virus,” noted Katongo.
To that effect, the Technical Committee has identified seven (7) electoral activities that fall in this category and developed the SOPs; ‘Payment of nomination fees by all aspiring candidates, Certification of the Register of Voters, Presidential Pre-processing of supporters, Nominations, Campaigns, Voting and Post-election reviews,” Katongo pointed out.
Katongo made a clarion call the Media, CSOs and all stakeholders to seriously cooperate with the electoral body as the issue at hand is a matter of life and death and must be approached with utmost caution.
“Stakeholders in the electoral process including political parties must take full responsibility of what will transpire as a result of failure to adhere to the guidelines recommended by the Technical Committee. The Commission, Ministry of Health and respective agencies should not be blamed in case of any eventualities. The Commission is currently preparing to receive nominations countrywide from candidates vying for the positions of President, Member of Parliament, Mayor/Council Chairperson and Councillor,” admonished Katongo.
In preparation for the receipt of the nominations, the Commission recently conducted the training of 2, 452 district election officers countrywide, in all the 10 provincial centres from Tuesday, 20th to Sunday, 25th April 2021.
Further, Katongo recollected that a briefing of stakeholders on poll day procedures was undertaken in all districts on Saturday 8th May, 2021.
“Let me reiterate that the Commission will continue updating you our stakeholders on the various activities to be undertaken before, during and after the 2021 poll. Please pay attention to the issues that will be discussed today and ensure that you get correct information on Standard Operating Procedures,” advised Katongo.
Speech by The Director Electoral Operations of The Electoral Commission Of Zambia, Mr. Royd Katongo to The Media and Civil Society Organisations Meeting held on Tuesday 11th May, 2021 at The Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka
The Media and Civil Society Organisations,
Members of the Technical Committee on COVID-19 and Elections
Management and Staff of the Electoral Commission of Zambia
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Commission, I wish to welcome you all to this briefing and thank you for honouring our invitation.
The Commission remains committed to ensuring that we continuously provide updates on the progress of activities on our electoral calendar leading to the 2021 General Election.
Today we are briefing you on the works of the Technical Committee working on COVID-19 prevention measures in the electoral activities and preparations for nominations.
As you may be aware by now, a Technical Committee on mainstreaming of COVID-19 prevention measures in the 2021 general election calendar was established following a consultative meeting with the Ministry of Health
The Technical Committe tasked to look at modalities of holding the 2021 General Election amid the COVID-19 pandemic has developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) aimed at guiding stakeholders’ conduct in relation to the election calendar .
The SOPs have been developed in due consideration of the following;
– Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) dissaggregated demographic data and how COVID-19 has affected each population segment
– Legal framework, and
– Stakeholders and structures that will support the cascading of the SOPs and related information
According to Ministry of Health, crowds and public gatherings are among the super spreaders of the virus. To that effect, the Technical Committee has identified electoral activities that fall in this category and developed the SOPs accordingly. The following are the electoral activities for which the SOPs have been developed;
– Payment of nomination fees by all aspiring candidates
– Certification of the Register of Voters
– Presidential Preprocessing of supporters
– Nominations
– Campaigns
– Voting
– Post-election reviews
At this point, let me make a clarion call to you the Media, CSOs and all stakeholders to seriously coorperate with the Commission on this matter. We would like to remind you that the issue at hand is a matter of life and death and must be approached with utmost caution. Stakeholders in the electoral process including political parties must take full responsiblity of what will transpire as a result of failure to adhere to the guidelines recommended by the Technical Committee. The Commission, Ministry of Health and respective agencies should not be blamed in case of any eventualities
Let us now talk about Nomination preparations ;
The Commission is currently preparing to receive nominations countrywide from candidates vying for the positions of President, Member of Parliament, Mayor/Council Chairperson and Councillor.
In preparation for the receipt of the nominations, the Commission recently conducted the training of district election officers countrywide. The training was held in all the 10 provincial centres from Tuesday, 20th to Sunday, 25th April 2021.
A total of 2,452 have been trained to handle the process.
Further, a briefing of stakeholders on poll day procedures was undertaken in all districts on Saturday 8th May, 2021.
In conclusion, let me reiterate that the Commission will continue updating you our stakeholders on the various activities to be undertaken before, during and after the 2021 poll.
Please pay attention to the issues that will be discussed today and ensure that you get correct information on Standard Operating Procedures.
I thank you.
