Add 5 more Monitors Observer’s Accreditation days, Tonse Youth Network Zambia prods ECZ

Mundia Paul Hakoola

By Derrick Sinjela

Tonse Youth Network Zambia Acting Chairperson Mundia Paul Hakoola is urging the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to increase the accreditation of monitors days of accreditation by five (5) more days to accommodate more citizens to have access to process.

Mr. Hakoola’s advisory comes in view of the a three – pointed observation that the initial accreditation of monitors had not been decentralized, lacked sufficient human resource and fewer citizen were caption by registration offficers.

In a Sunday, 1st August, 2021 Tonse Youth Network Zambia (TYNZ) Media Statement on Extension of Accreditation of Monitors, Hakoola called on ECZ to increase the days of accreditation by five (5) days to accommodate and capture more citizens to have access to the process.

Equally serving as Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLRI) Executive Director (ED) Hakoola pointed out that the process of monitoring and observing any local, national or international poll protects the rights of all participating stakeholders, thus promoting transparency on the voting and counting process and eventually provides legitimacy for results to be acceptable by participating stakeholders and citizens.

“Let us protect our land during this elections period. Increasing transparency in the conduct of elections will result in a free, fair and credible outcome,” prayed Hakoola in a Media Statement signed by Tonse Youth Network Zambia peers from Operation Young Vote (OYV), Action Governance Forum (AGF), Continental Leadership Research Institute (CLRI), Common Causes Zambia (CCZ),
Sport-Aid Development Trust and Youth in Action for Disability Inclusion Zambia (YADIZ).

Tonse Youth Network Zambia representative Hakoola says independent monitors and observers during the Thursday 12th August 2021 General Elections, are important as actors build public confidence in the electoral processes.

The Network has noted an ECZ Media Statement on the extension of accreditation of monitors to Monday 2nd August 2021, which is insufficient to capture more electoral process independent monitors and observers.

“The network calls on the ECZ to increase the time frame for accreditation of monitors by an additional 5 days because the process in has not been decentralized making me it difficult for members of the public and interest organizations to get accreditation. The network proposes that the ECZ should decentralize the process to consistencies so that the process is faster and also ensure that Coronavirus (COVID-19) rules are enforced, as the current state of affairs leaves not much to desired. Secondly, ECZ must deploy more human resource to ensure that the processes is effective and efficient, the current seem staff to be under pressure to deal with long queues and thirdly, citizens need to have access to accreditation centers and failure to decentralized the centers reduces active citizen participation in the process due lack of logistical support for some citizens”.

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