How ICTs Help Promote Transparency During Elections In Zambia

TIZ's PVT results for presidential elections

By Paul Shalala in Masaiti

In a democracy like Zambia's, transparency is a critical component to good governance.

In the political arena, campaigns and elections are supposed to be held in the most transparent manner if democracy is to be deemed mature.

But stories of vote buying, rigging, voter intimidation and several other electoral malpractices are common in most African countries.

In Zambia, most times when opposition political parties lose elections (including by-elections), stories of vote rigging are common.

But new technologies may soon prove to be a solution to the issue of transparency and good governance in Africa.

Since 2011, all elections in Zambia have come under scrutiny by the citizens through the use of Information Communications Technologies (ICTs).

With the latest figures showing that there are about 9 million Zambians who have registered their sim cards with the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), the use of these phones to get election updates has increased over the years.

According to ZICTA, 3 million of the 9 million phone owners have access to the internet and most Zambians use them for Facebook and Twitter.

PF's PVT results for Chawama

Through such ICT platforms like the Parallel Voter Tabulation (PVT) which the then opposition Patriotic Front (PF) used to monitor and ascertain the results of the 2011 General Elections, the use of ICTs has become an indispensable tool in elections in Zambia.

On September 11, 2014 the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) piloted the electronic transmission of results for the Kasenengwa parliamentary by-election in the Eastern province.

Using mobile phones and computers to collect and transmit results, the ECZ was able to announce final results within 12  hours of the last ballot having been cast.

This use of ICTs to collect election results made the declaration of the winner faster as opposed to the manual system were the ECZ relied on the Zambia Airforce to transport ballot boxes from remote areas to the collation center on Chipata which would have taken more time.

During the 20 January, 2015 presidential election, the civil society also used ICTs to monitor and update the nation on the election results.

For example, Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) gathered election results per constituency and posted results on its Facebook page from time to time as seen in the screen shot above.

Millions of Zambia who are on Facebook, stayed glued online to get updates from TIZ, political parties, individuals and other civil society organisations who were posting results from their PVT centers.

And last week during the parliamentary by-elections in Chawama, Masaiti and Senga Hill, various political parties used mobile phones to gather election results from their dozens of polling agents who were spread across the polling stations in the three constituencies.

As can be seen in the screen shots from PF's Miles Sampa (above) and UPND's Honourable Cheche Kalala (right),  political parties compiled their respective election results before the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) announced its official results.

Cheche Kalala of UPND posting PVT results

These were authentic election results pasted outside polling stations after being officially announced by electoral officers at each polling station and sent back to each political party's PVT center in Lusaka by polling agents through Short Message Service (SMS).

Using this PVT system has proved to be so effective and political parties in Zambia even know before the ECZ announces its results as to who has won elections and with how many votes.

These ICT tools have also helped increase the confidence citizens have in the management of elections in the country.

With the citizens participating in verifying these election results using mobile phones and the internet, cases of rigging are now being done away with as voters can now compare results announced at each polling station and the official figures announced by ECZ at the collation centers.

Lusaka Province Rejects Public Order Act, Homosexuality

The Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission in session

By Paul Shalala

Dozens of petitioners who have appeared before the Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission in Lusaka Province have called for the repealing of the colonial-era Public Order Act which has allegedly reduced people's freedoms of assembly and association.

Last week, the Justice Frederick Chomba-led Commission completed its one month tour of Lusaka Province to collect proposals from Zambians on the reform of the judiciary.

In the past four weeks, the Commission held over 10 public sittings in Lusaka, Luangwa, Chongwe, Chirundu and Kafue Districts where Zambians petitioned the commission on various laws and policies that need to be changed.

Nelson Simunji, a lecturer of History at the recently established Chalimbana University in Chongwe District told the commission that the Public Order Act was archaic and needs to be repealed.

"This law is old. It works against democracy. The Police are abusing it and trampling on the rights of the opposition. We need to repeal it and allow democracy to flourish," said Simunji who was the first petitioner on Friday last week in Chongwe.

Mr Simunji's submission was echoed by Zambia Development Conference (ZADECO) President Langton Sichone who also described the Public Order Act as an impediment on democracy in Zambia.

"This law is against the right of assembly. It is against the tenets of democracy. We need to urgently repeal this law and allow people to meet freely without being harassed by the Police," said Mr Sichone in his submission to the commission in Kafue on Thursday.

In every district the commission has held public sittings, petitioners  have demanded the repealing of the infamous law whose implementation by the Zambia Police Service has seen opposition rallies being cancelled and people being arrested for holding meetings.

On the controversial issue of homosexuality, both supporters and opponents of the practice presented their proposals to the sittings across Lusaka Province.

Kaimbo Katengo, a chairman for Zango Youth Consortium shocked commissioners when he spent 30 minutes condemning the Penal Code for discriminating against gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

Mr Katengo called for the review of the Penal Code to embrace homosexuality and allow people to practice their sexual acts without interference by the state.

"We feel the Penal Code is unfair and it is infringing upon people's rights. We need to reform this law and decriminalise the so-called unnatural acts. People should not be discriminated upon based on their sexual orientation," said Katengo at the Lusaka Civic Center during the first day of the commission's sittings.

But a few days later, Katengo tendered an apology to the nation saying his submission had received sharp reaction from stakeholders and he promised to appear before the commission and withdraw his statement but to date he has not done so.

In Chongwe, Luangwa and Kafue Districts, homosexuality was sharply criticised by petitioners.

Chalimbana Ward Councillor Charles Mumena called for a new law that would criminalise homosexuality acts and met stiffer punishment on pepetrators.

"Mr Chairman, we are a christian nation. We can not allow homosexuality here. Let us come up with a law that will stop this vice once and for all," said Mr Mumena who is also former President of the Local Government Association of Zambia.

In Kafue, the issue of homesexuality made commissioners laugh.

"If males marry each other and women marry each other too, we a re not assured of young people being there in 20 to 30 years from now. How will we have children when the whole country goes homosexual? Lets stop this foreign practice in Zambia, we do not need it, " said John Mwansa who addressed the Legal and Justice Reforms Commission at Kafue Civic Center.

Currently, the Zambian constitution does not allow homosexuality and perpetrators face upto 15 years when convicted.

Other issues that where very controversial in Lusaka where defamation of the President, land administration, appointment of judges, the construction of houses for former Presidents and allowing TV cameras in courts.

With the completion of Lusaka Province, the Legal and Justice Sector Reforms Commission is next month expected to start touring the remaining nine provinces to receive proposals from Zambians.

The commission was appointed by President Michael Sata in January this year and it was sworn in by Acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda in March.

The 20-member Justice Frederick Chomba-led commission is deputised by Solicitor General Abraham Mwansa and its secretary is Maria Kawimbe.

Prominent among the commissioners are National Prosecution Authority Chairman Mutembo Nchito, Law Association of Zambia President George Chisanga, Transparency International Zambia President Lee Habasonda and Women for Change Chairperson Emily Sikazwe.