Voting ends as counting gets underway

Voting has closed in the three parliamentary by-elections in Senga Hill, Masaiti and Chawama constituencies with a generally low voter turnout recorded.

Counting of ballots is now expected to get underway with preliminary results expected to start trickling in thereafter, with full results expected later in the night.

In Chawama the voting process which started at a very slow pace this morning continued during the day at most polling stations visited by the QFM News crew.

A check by 16:00 hours at three polling stations namely ZNS polling station, Moto Moto ‘’B’’ and Andrew Mwenya revealed that the low voter turnout had continued during the day.

ZNS polling station presiding officer Kebby Mubiana said the polling station has a total number of 1,983 registered voters and not more than three hundred voters had cast their vote by 14. 55 hours.

And Andrew Mwenya polling station assistant presiding officer Emmanuel Mukulila said less than three hundred people had cast their votes by 16:00 hrs of the total registered number of 1,950.

Those contesting the Chawama by-election are PF’s Lawrence Sichalwe, National Revolution party’s Martha Mumba, UPND’s Charles Kaselwa,Biwel Kaluba of UNIP and Fourth Revolution party’s Benson Silwimba.

In Masaiti those vying for the vacant parliamentary seat are independent candidate Lyton Mokola, Mobby Mutaya of the Fourth Revolution, UPND’s Peter Mumba, Lason Musumali for UNIP and Michael Katambo of the PF.

In Senga Hill the race is between PF’s Kapembwa Simbao and Giles Yambayamba of the UPND.

And Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi who is in Mbala monitoring the Senga Hill by-election noted the low voter turnout despite the favourable weather in the district.

Mr Chipenzi notes that despite Senga Hill constituency having a total registered voters of 32,446 no queues formed at polling stations.

He however, noted that the low voter turnout could be that the by-elections are being held on a working day when some of the registered voters are working, while others could have opted to go and attend to their farming fields.