Voter turnout improves

The number of voters trooping to cast their ballots in the Masaiti Parliamentary by election has increased after early morning light showers kept some indoors.

ZNBC’S Collins Chama reports from Masaiti that early morning showers which started around 03:00 hours forced most of the electorates to stay indoors at the time the polling stations opened at 06:00hours.

However, by 09:00 hours the voter turnout improved after the light showers subsided.

At Kataba Primary School about 41 voters had visited the polling station while at Chamunda primary school over eighty people had cast their ballots by 09:00 hours.

AT Mbasela polling station 30 votes had been cast by 11:30hrs while 70 had been cast at Chibamba polling station by 11:50 hrs.

Masaiti District Electoral Officer Magubwi Simunkolomba said voter turnout is expected to improve as the day progresses.

And ZNBC’s BRIAN MWALE reports that 105 people out of 1-thousand 3-hundred and 11 registered voters had cast their ballots at Mukatula Polling Station by 08:00 hrs.

However the turnout was better at Mambwe Mission Secondary School which will also be the totaling centre this evening.

By 12:00hours almost 250 people had voted out of 765 registered voters.

Senga Hill has 47 polling stations and 32-thousand 4-hundred and 47 registered voters.

Meanwhile Transparency International Zambia – TIZ has commended political parties taking part in Tuesday’s parliamentary by elections for the peaceful manner in which they conducted their campaigns.

TIZ president Lee Habasonda says for the first time in a long time, political campaigns have been generally peaceful.

Mr. Habasonda says the trend should continue as violence has no room in a democracy.

He said this to ZNBC news in Lusaka today during an interview.

And the TIZ President has urged politicians against campaigning on tribal lines.

Mr. Habasonda has also commended the police for the manner they have handled the campaigns.-ZNBC