By Zambian Economist Analyst
Ballot papers for the August 13 general election have arrived in Livingstone District, marking one of the final logistical milestones before Zambians head to the polls in the Livingstone Central and Maramba constituencies.
Livingstone District Electoral Officer Sombo Kawilila says the district has received four pallets of ballot papers, with two pallets allocated to each constituency. Speaking through Maramba Constituency Returning Officer Daniel Sikapili, Ms Kawilila said representatives of political parties and other election stakeholders witnessed the arrival of the ballot papers and their placement into secure storage.
She said the ballot papers have been secured at the Livingstone Civic Centre, where they will remain under 24-hour protection by the Zambia Police Service until the next stage of the electoral process.
Ms Kawilila added that the Electoral Commission of Zambia will announce the date for the verification exercise, during which political parties, election observers and other accredited stakeholders will inspect the ballot papers before they are dispatched to polling stations.
The presence of party representatives at the handover is a standard safeguard in Zambia’s electoral process, intended to build confidence in the chain of custody for sensitive material ahead of polling day. Similar deliveries are expected to continue across the country’s other districts in the coming days as the Electoral Commission of Zambia finalises preparations for the August 13 vote.
The arrival comes as the country continues final preparations for an election that has already drawn heightened attention to peace and security, with President Hakainde Hichilema recently condemning political violence and warning of consequences for offenders, and church leaders such as the Zambia Anglican Fellowship praying for a peaceful vote.
For a full side-by-side of both campaigns, see our analysis comparing Hichilema’s record with Mundubile’s Tonse Alliance platform.
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Related: ECZ Revokes Binwell Mpundu’s Accreditation to National Results Centre Over Threat Video.
With ballots now in place, attention has turned to observation, with civil society deploying over 600 election monitors nationwide ahead of polling day.
