FODEP To Deploy 5,000 Election Monitors Across Zambia

A voter being helped inside a Polling Station

By Paul Shalala

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) says it will deploy 5,000 election monitors in 96 of Zambia’s 156 constituencies.

In a press statement, FODEP Executive Director Chimfwembe Mweenge said the training of the monitors had commenced ahead of the August 11 general elections and referendum.

“The trainings are expected to finish on August 3, 2016 and will see a total of 5000 citizen election monitors trained and these will be deployed to 96 constituencies across all the 10 provinces,” said Mr Mweenge.

He adds that the organisation has just finished conducting the training of trainers programme across the 10 provinces in which 175 individuals at district and constituency levels.

FODEP is confident that its monitors will be adequately equipped to monitor and observe the elections impartially and independently in accordance with provisions of electoral regulations.

The Lusaka-based governance organisation has been monitoring elections in Zambia and the region for over two decades.

It joins several other local and international election monitoring groups who are deploying their observers to observe the polls.