Only X, UPND’s Mwiinde urges voters
By Ludia Ngwadzai
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) national management committee member Trevor Mwiinde has urged voters to mark their ballot papers with an X saying this has been the established voting practice in Zambia.
The last minute announcement by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) that voters can mark either the traditional cross or a tick on the ballot when voting on Thursday has raised a national storm with most stakeholders opposing the change.
Mwiinde said citizens should ignore what he described as misinformation and malicious discussions circulating on social media as the country heads towards the Thursday general elections.
“I would want to believe that we have heard a lot of dirty and malicious talk on social media. I want to urge the youths of the UPND to have a different way, especially as we go towards the polls,” he said
“There is nothing like ticking in the ballot box. This is a time to make an X, as you have been voting over the years in the past.”
Mwiinde urged voters to look for the UPND symbol, which he described as the yellow hand, or the symbol of their preferred political party, when casting their votes.
He appealed to party members not to engage in violence when opposition parties conducted campaigns in areas such as Southern Province.
“We welcome the opposition. When they come, wave at them using the UPND symbol and show them the party you belong to. Don’t throw stones, let’s not use pangas.
And former Nkana member of Parliament Binwell Mpundu has also raised concerns about public confidence in the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), particularly regarding the manner in which ballot papers and voting procedures were being handled.
Mpundu warned that declining public confidence in the electoral process could create a dangerous situation if citizens began to suspect the credibility of electoral decisions and procedures.
He wondered why ECZ was allegedly introducing voting practices which had not been part of Zambia’s traditional voting system.
Mpundu said if a change in the manner of marking ballots had been intended, it should have been subjected to consultation with stakeholders and incorporated into the relevant electoral amendments and regulations.
He warned that perceptions of electoral irregularities could undermine acceptance of election results.
