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Zambian gov't denies influencing printing of ballot papers in Dubai

Xinhua, April 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

Zambia's Vice-President Inonge Wina said on Friday that the government has no hand in the country's electoral body's decision to give a tender for the printing of ballot papers to a company based in Dubai.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has proposed to award the tender for the printing of ballot papers for the August 11 general elections to Alghurair Printing and Publishing LLC, a Dubai-based firm.

The electoral body has since placed a notice to bidders placed at its headquarters that it had concluded the bid examination process and had proposed to pick the Dubai-based firm.

The electoral body has given a 10-day period in which any objections to the proposed award could be raised.

But the decision has rattled opposition leaders who have wondered why the electoral body wants to print the ballot papers in Dubai instead of South Africa where the papers have always been printed.

They have accused the government of colluding with the electoral body to rig the elections.

"No president directs the ECZ where to print the ballot papers from. Ever since the ECZ was created, the office decides where to print the ballot papers. There is no pressure from the president or from my office. These are its decisions and there is no pressure from the government," the Zambian vice-president said during a vice-president's question and answer session in parliament.

She further said the electoral body usually engages all the stakeholders in the electoral process, including the issue of printing ballot papers and denied reports that the government was planning to rig the forthcoming elections.

"The tender for the printing of the ballot papers was out in the papers, including foreign papers and the paper that gets the tender will get the job," she added.

Zambia will hold general elections on August 11 to elect a president, lawmakers and local government leaders.

Opposition leaders have claimed that incumbent President Edgar Lungu was desperate to win the election and that the decision to print the ballot papers in Dubai was one of the ploy. Endit