Printing ballot papers locally secure - Kachingwe

THOSE opposed to printing ballot papers locally based on rigging claims must be ashamed of themselves because we used to do that during the Kenneth Kaunda era and no one complained of foul play, Major Richard Kachingwe has charged.

Speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, Maj Kachingwe said printing ballot papers for the 2021 elections will not only help build capacity on the Government Printers, but will lessen the

financial burden Government has been incurring on contracting

foreign companies.

Maj Kachingwe said he expected those who have been alleging that the 2021 elections may be rigged in favour of the ruling PF to welcome the local printing of ballot papers as they will be guaranteed of security since they will monitor the process. “If Zambia has the capacity to print ballot papers locally, that is better and must be encouraged as it will capacitate the Government Printers. Why would people be worried about security locally when it is guaranteed?

“In fact, printing the ballots locally means that all political parties will be represented. The local people working there are not all PF. There are people who support other political parties. If there is any attempt to use underhand methods, people within will stop that,” Maj Kachingwe said.

Maj Kachingwe said Zambia must revert to the old ways of printing ballot papers locally to save resources.

“Since time immemorial, ballot papers were printed at the Government Printers until these semantics and allegations of foul play came in. If we print the ballot papers locally, we will empower our own people.

“During the UNIP era all the ballot papers were printed locally but we never heard any claims of rigging. What has changed now? It was until these semantics of rigging came in that we

started contracting foreign firms.

Maj Kachingwe said those who were worried about rigging must keep night vigils at the Government Printers until the election-day,” he said.