EU PROPOSES ECZ BOSS FOR PRESIDENTIAL POLL RETURNING OFFICER

The European Union Election Observer Mission has proposed the review of the returning officer for the presidential election in Zambia.

This is among 36 proposals made by the mission in its final report in the aftermath of the 20^th September 2011 general elections, whose process Maria Muniz de Urguiza has described as incomplete.

The Mission has observed that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Zambia would be better placed to be the returning officer for the presidential poll.

Currently, the Chief Justice is the returning officer, which the mission says could be a source of conflict of interest in the event of an electoral petition before the courts of law.

Other notable proposals are a review of the colonially-inherited Penal Code Act as well as the Electoral Act and its Code of Conduct.

The Mission has further described the elections body as a moribund organisation with incapacity to strictly and fully enforce the code of Conduct.

Meanwhile, the EU observer mission has also ruled out the acclaimed secret vote notion, which is watered down by the system of ballot casting procedures.

It has observed that the recording of the voter card number on the foil of the ballot papers undermines the claimed description of the vote being secret.

And unveiling the report in Lusaka, Ms Muniz has described the September poll as free and fair, though falling short of meeting the international and regional standards.

She has also urged for the decentralisation of the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s operations.