ECZ starts exercise to increase the number of constituencies

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has started the delimitation 
exercise aimed at increasing the number of constituencies, polling
districts and stations.
ECZ chairperson Ireen Mambilima said the introduction of new polling
stations in Ndola was essential to reduce on the distances that voters
cover during registration and election time and also encourage more
voters to vote.

Ms Mambilima said this in a speech read on her behalf by Copperbelt
local government officer Charlestone Hamulyata in Ndola.
 She said the delimitation exercise was also as a result of the
population increase that had been witnessed after the last exercise
which was in 2005 in the city.
She said through this year’s delimitation exercise, all polling stations located in unsuitable places where elections were conducted, would be relocated.
She, however, said the delimitation process of creating new council wards and stations would be effective after the release of a Statutory Instrument to legalise the action by the Ministry of Local Government.
Ms Mambilima said it was out of the 2011 delimitation commission that a new provinces were created and constituencies increased from 150 to 235 when it was reported to the President.

She said Government then embarked on the decentralisation of the country’s governance system and as a result, President Michael Sata established and created the 29 new districts and increasing the total districts from 74 to 103.
Ms Mambilima said this year’s delimitation was not going to include the creation of more constituencies but polling districts and wards.
She hoped that the delimitation would result in the delivery of more efficient electoral process.

Times of Zambia