Electronic system is genuine -ECZ

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) says the electronic system of transmitting election results in Kasenengwa and Vubwi constituencies is a pilot exercise and will not in any way affect the current manual system of collating and declaring election results.

ECZ public relations officer Raphael Phiri said in a statement released to ZANIS News this evening that the  Commission will not use the results obtained through the electronic system for the declaration of the final election results.

Mr Phiri stated that the hard copies of the results as announced by Presiding officers at  each polling station are those that will be used at the totaling centres by the Returning Officers to  collate and declare the final election results.

He said using an android (smart) cell phone, after the official announcement of the polling station election  results, each Presiding officer will capture the image of the signed election results form at each polling  station and transmit the image using the smart phone simultaneously to the constituency totaling  center and the Commission Headquarters in Lusaka.

Mr Phiri said this pilot exercise is simply intended to determine how quickly the election results can be obtained from polling stations considering the complaints by stakeholders over delayed election results  announcement in the past.

He said that It should also be noted that this system was used in Katuba during the by-elections in that constituency in February this year and that by 21:30 hours on poll day results from 30 out of the 32 polling stations had been received.

Mr Phiri said the Commission would therefore like to allay any fears or concerns raised by stakeholders regarding  the system of transmitting election results as it is merely a test to ascertain the efficiency and reliability  of the system and has not replaced the current system of collating and declaring election results.