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Transparency International Zambia has described the 2015 presidential elections as largely fair and that the results management by the Electoral Commission of Zambia was credible and march with its Parallel Voter Tabulation results.
TIZ Executive Director Goodwell Lungu in a statement to QFM News says the just ended presidential election showed remarkable improvements in the overall election management, and that further, a number of transparency mechanisms were adhered to.
Mr Lungu says while TIZ noted some concerns over the delay by the ECZ in announcing elections results which had been declared by the returning and presiding officers,some stakeholders fueled unnecessa
ry and baseless suspicions.
He says TIZ was pleased with the decision by the Commission to paste election results outside polling stations as this enhanced transparency and allowed political parties to and stakeholders to closely follow the outcomes of the elections.
Mr Lungu adds that TIZ also noted some marked improvements in the manner in which questions and concerns were handled by the ECZ at the National Presidential Elections Results Centre.
He further states that TIZ appreciates the efforts by the ECZ to introduce a more transparent way of counting the votes at polling stations as well the collation of results at various centres.
Mr Lungu says while long and tedious, this helped inspire confidence in the various stakeholders.
He says it is also commendable to note that the majority of the polling stations opened on time and had the required election materials.
Transparency International Zambia deployed election monitors in a number of polling stations and the 150 constituency totalling centres in the country.