IPC urges Zambia to keep election results transparent
The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has congratulated Zambia’s re-elected president, Hakainde Hichilema, while calling for full transparency in the management and verification of election results. IPC president Panduleni Itula in a statement released on Wednesday, commends opposition candidate Brian Mundubile and the 1 856 217 Zambians who supported him, saying southern Africa needs organised, […] The post IPC urges Zambia to keep election results transparent appeared first on The Namibian
The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has congratulated Zambia’s re-elected president, Hakainde Hichilema, while calling for full transparency in the management and verification of election results.
IPC president Panduleni Itula in a statement released on Wednesday, commends opposition candidate Brian Mundubile and the 1 856 217 Zambians who supported him, saying southern Africa needs organised, peaceful and persistent opposition.
The party has welcomed preliminary findings of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission, which described the atmosphere as calm and peaceful at 275 of 277 polling stations visited.
It also commends electoral preparations, custody of materials and the presence of party agents during counting.
However, the IPC has raised concerns over instances where voters’ national registration numbers were written on ballot papers, potentially compromising ballot secrecy.
It also notes that reconciliation was completed at only 14 of 17 observed stations, while results were announced at 13.
The IPC says it would await the mission’s final report and urges the Electoral Commission of Zambia to publicly address all material concerns and to keep the complete results record accessible and auditable.
Itula says Mundubile has indicated he possesses information concerning alleged alterations of polling-station result forms and has the right to pursue legal remedies.
The IPC urges Namibia to adopt stronger electoral safeguards, including publicly displaying signed polling-station results, providing copies to accredited party agents and promptly publishing constituency results.
It also notes that Electoral Commission of Namibia chairperson Elsie Nghikembua served as deputy head of the ECF-SADC observer mission and urges her to share lessons Namibia can adopt before the next election.
“Democracy is kept alive by winners who govern with restraint, opponents who persist lawfully and institutions willing to show their work,” Itula says.
