AUGUST 13 POLL STAFF: ECZ Makes Abrupt & Last Minute Changes; Raise Suspicion
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has issued instructions to all local authorities to cancel earlier shortlisted candidates who were due to attend aptitude tests as pollsters.
According to information obtained from multiple contacts, ECZ – in what appears to be a strange development – also ordered local authorities to deleted the lists of candidates published on their respective Facebook pages.
The shortlisted candidates were due to attend aptitude tests on Friday but these were deferred to today in some jurisdictions where ECZ is said to have a fresh list of candidates.
Further, some ECZ senior staff are using vehicles allegedly belonging to various government security agencies.
Those conducting the process fear that the officials who are deploying in the vehicles appear more inclined to the government than ECZ who have traditionally hired private vehicles that they deploy for the conduct of the electoral process.
ECZ has not issued any public statement regarding the last minute changes to the poll staff some of whom conducted the tests today.
