‘ECZ should allow international monitors’
THE Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLRI) has expressed concern at the recent statement by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) over possible restrictions regarding the number of international election observers to be allowed in the country owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CLRI Executive Director, Paul Mundia Hakoola, said ECZ should be more consultative when making such important decisions as opposed to making announcements without engaging stakeholders
He said this yesterday in a statement issued in Livingstone.
Mr Hakoola said that the statement by the electoral body could undermine the spirit of transparency which is one of the co-values.
"ECZ has been less consultative and the institute has also noted the lapses by commission’s media department to engage stakeholders
through .robust media programs aimed at explaining the electoral processes and conduct civic education, which he said is a situation that has caused anxiety among members of the public.
"As an institute, we reaffirm the earlier position to call on the ECZ to be more consultative and learn to build consensus among stakeholders. We believe that the possible restriction of international
observers will undermine and erode the creditability of our electoral process," he said.
Mr Hakoola wonders why ECZ was raising the issue of election observers entering the country when borders have remained open even under the current face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The Zambian airspace and borders have been open, meaning different individuals from different parts of the world have been able to visit Zambia without any restrictions.
The position by ECZ to restrict international observers doesn’t hold water. The statement by ECZ undermines the spirit of transparency and accountability in the electoral process," he said.
Monday, the ECZ said in a statement that the international observers may need to use their local staff to monitor the 2021 elections owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
ECZ has been less consultative and the institute has also noted the lapses by commission’s media department to engage stakeholders through robust media programs aimed at explaining the electoral processes and conduct civic education, which he said is a situation that has caused anxiety among members of the public.