VZCZCXRO0260
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLS #1188/01 2431245
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311245Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3105
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LUSAKA 001188 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ZA
SUBJECT: Election Preparations Proceeding Smoothly 
 
REFS: A) LUSAKA 1183; B) LUSAKA 1101; C) LUSAKA 1054 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Electoral Commission of Zambia continues to 
respond thoroughly to concerns of stakeholders as it proceeds with 
ballot printing oversight, organizes distribution of ballots and 
other materials to polling stations, establishes conflict management 
mechanisms, and handles accreditation of observers and monitors. 
Foreign Mission cooperating partners remain impressed with the 
even-handed and capable performance of ECZ Chairperson Justice Irene 
Mambilima.  The ECZ appears to be doing everything within its power 
to eliminate opportunities for election malfeasance and ensure voter 
confidence; however, it faces challenges in enforcing balance and 
objectivity in coverage by the state-owned print and electronic 
media.  End summary. 
 
Introduction 
 
¶2. (U) Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson Justice 
Irene Mambilima met with Chiefs of Mission and other diplomats on 
August 29 to provide another of her regular updates on Zambian 
election preparations.  UNDP Resident Representative Aeneas Chuma 
provided a brief status report on the activities undertaken with the 
support of the Elections Trust Fund.  Participants in the meeting 
asked the Chairperson about uneven media coverage of party 
activities, the lack of presidential debates, pending public opinion 
surveys, and the ECZ's decision not to offer special voting 
provisions to local monitors. 
 
Nominations Finalized; Female Representation Weak 
 
¶3. (U) ECZ Chairperson Justice Mambilima reiterated that five 
nominees registered to contest the Presidency (Ref B) during the 
August 11-14 registration period.  She commented on a minor 
controversy over the United Democratic Alliance candidacy, due to 
its being a coalition rather than a registered political party, and 
explained that the ECZ resolved the matter by asking members of the 
parties in the coalition to send letters to endorse the coalition 
candidate. 
 
¶4. (U) Justice Mambilima said that 709 candidates had registered to 
compete for 150 seats in the National Assembly, and the male-female 
breakdown among candidates was 603-106 (about 15 percent female 
participation).  For local councilor positions, 4,095 candidates 
registered, with the male-female breakdown at 3,708 - 387, 
representing less than 10 percent female participation.  The 
Chairperson commented on the large number of independent candidates 
running in National Assembly and local elections, and attributed 
this trend to what she termed the "confusion" among political 
parties in choosing nominees (reftels).  The ECZ collected a total 
of Kwacha 761.6 million (about US$ 200,000) in nomination fees. 
Justice Mambilima again defended the Kw 20 million (just over US$ 
5,000) nomination fee imposed on presidential candidates, noting 
that despite complaints from some aspiring candidates, the sum was 
agreed upon by a consensus among stakeholders. 
 
¶5. (U) The ECZ will make a copy of the full set of voter rolls in 
color (the rolls contain voters' photos) available to each of the 
five presidential candidates.  The ECZ will also provide National 
Assembly and local government candidates with a free copy of the 
voter roll for their respective constituency or ward.  The voter 
rolls will also be available for purchase. 
 
Ballot Printing and Distribution Logistics 
 
¶6. (U) Justice Mambilima noted that the printing of ballot papers 
was underway in Durban by South African contractor Universal 
Printing.  ECZ officers, representatives from civil society, media, 
the Anti-Corruption Commission, Zambian Police, and each of the five 
parties fielding presidential candidates traveled to Durban to 
observe the ballot printing process.  Monitoring of the process 
promoted maximum transparency, and was a conscious effort to 
minimize the contentiousness of ballot printing and distribution 
issues related to the 2001 election, she said. 
 
¶7. (U) The ECZ asked that the first tranche of printing be done for 
ballots to be used in hard-to-reach, remote areas of Zambia.  These 
ballots should be available to the ECZ by September 10 for early 
delivery to the remote locations by both air and road.  The ECZ will 
use a hangar at the Lusaka Airport to pack and seal up ballot papers 
for delivery.  The ECZ is also trying to preposition various 
election materials, including ballot boxes, tables, chairs, and 
booths, as early in advance as possible, using ECZ trucks and 
Zambian Air Force planes for delivery. 
 
Election Observers and Monitors 
 
¶8. (U) Justice Mambilima introduced the technical advisors engaged 
by the UNDP Elections Trust Fund, Marco Hasselaar and Dinah Kayumba, 
to assist the ECZ with the coordination of the accreditation of 
international observers, and training and support for observers. 
She confirmed that Zambians who are accredited under foreign 
 
LUSAKA 00001188  002 OF 003 
 
 
Missions will be considered as international observers.  She said 
the ECZ expected at least 200 international observers from the EU, 
Commonwealth, SADC and local diplomatic Missions.  She added that 
the ECZ had received over 2,400 applications from local monitors to 
date. 
 
Voter Education and Awareness 
 
¶9. (U) The Chairperson reported that voter education field 
activities are due to be completed by September 15.  The ECZ 
continues to use community radio, TV, national radio, and print 
media for publicity and voter education programs.  The ECZ is 
working through the Zambia National Information Service to provide 
mobile election "road shows" in all 72 districts around the country. 
 
 
Training, Conflict Management and Electoral Code of Conduct 
 
¶10. (U) The ECZ Chairperson reported that district level conflict 
management committees were established and trained to address 
complaints, which had already been received from the Eastern 
Province.  The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa provided the 
conflict management training for trainers drawn from NGOs, Zambian 
Police, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Ministry of Justice. 
 Justice Mambilima said the ECZ held consultative workshops with 
judges from the Supreme Court, High Court, Industrial Relations 
Court, and Police, all of whom play a key role in the electoral 
process.  The training for police officers involved extensive 
deliberations of the Public Order Act.  Members of the print and 
electronic media also received training on election reporting and 
the electoral process, and the ECZ continues to liaise with the 
Press Association of Zambia and its committees in provincial centers 
around the country. 
 
¶11. (U) Justice Mambilima stressed that the ECZ will take seriously 
and give "due consideration" to all complaints about violations of 
the electoral code of conduct.  The ECZ will not tolerate breaches, 
she stressed.  She confirmed that the ECZ has already received 
complaints from individuals, candidates and political parties on 
violations of the code of conduct and on electoral malpractices. 
Regarding a complaint brought against Patriotic Front presidential 
candidate Michael Sata (Ref A), Justice Mambilima explained that she 
met with Sata on August 25 and they reached a resolution, which will 
be announced "soon."  She added that she also had briefed the 
complainant from the ruling party and said the ECZ thought arresting 
candidates in response to complaints would be counterproductive - 
her preferred response is to investigate and follow up with both 
sides to seek amicable resolution. 
 
¶12. (U) The Chairperson also referred to media reports that all 
police officers were asked to provide their voter registration card 
details, and explained that a miscommunication may have occurred as 
a result of ECZ logistics planning.  The ECZ wished to ensure that 
one uniformed police officer would be assigned at every polling 
station, and in order to verify the officers' voter registration, 
the Commission had requested particulars of those officers who will 
be assigned to polling station duty.  She said she will ask the 
media to inform the public that they have no obligation to give 
their voter registration information to anyone, and that they should 
report any efforts to collect such information to the police or to 
the district conflict management committee. 
 
UNDP Fund Support to Women Candidates, Observer Missions 
 
¶13. (U) United Nations Development Program Resident Representative 
Aeneas Chuma reported that the UNDP Elections Trust Fund's funding 
level was $8 million.  Current efforts supported by the Fund include 
voter and civic education by over 650 facilitators in communities 
around Zambia and support for media campaigns.  The Fund is 
assisting aspiring female candidates through training programs 
offered by the national Women's Lobby Group.  The UNDP Fund is also 
supporting an accreditation secretariat whose technical advisors 
(para 8) will assist international observers. 
 
Other Concerns: Special Vote, Media, Debates, Polls 
 
¶14. (U) Justice Mambilima reconfirmed the ECZ decision to forego 
organizing a "special vote" (along the lines of an absentee vote) 
for local monitors and others unable to be present at their 
designated polling station, explaining that the special vote 
provision was part of the new electoral law that was only recently 
passed, leaving the ECZ insufficient time to make adequate 
provisions for such a vote.  She distinguished the special vote 
provisions from what she called "administrative" arrangements to 
enable police officers who will be on official duty at specified 
polling stations to vote.  The Chairperson said the ECZ will 
encourage the groups sponsoring local monitors to do their best to 
limit the disenfranchisement of monitors. 
 
¶15. (U) Cooperating partner representatives at the meeting raised 
continuing concerns about uneven media coverage and asked about 
 
LUSAKA 00001188  003 OF 003 
 
 
prospects for presidential debates.  Justice Mambilima disclosed 
that the ECZ was monitoring overall media coverage of candidates and 
parties, and had received specific complaints about disproportionate 
coverage of the ruling party's activities by the national 
broadcaster on particular days.  She added that she had just met 
with public media chiefs to reinforce the importance of balanced 
coverage. 
 
¶16. (U) Justice Mambilima said that National Assembly and local 
government candidates were actively engaging in debates around the 
country, but no formal debate among presidential candidates was 
planned.  Instead, the ECZ is working to develop and disseminate 
profiles of the presidential candidates and their policies in the 
Zambian media.  A Norwegian representative also announced that two 
more voter opinion polls (Ref C) would be released before the 
election: one was carried out during August and would be released 
very soon, and another would be conducted in September and released 
shortly before the election.  No exit polls are planned, due to 
insufficient resources. 
 
¶17. (SBU) Comment:  At the conclusion of the meeting, foreign 
Mission representatives voiced appreciation and praise for the 
leadership of Justice Mambilima and the professionalism with which 
she and members of the ECZ carried out their duties.  The ECZ has 
responded to stakeholder concerns thoroughly and comprehensively. 
The area where the ECZ still appears not to have much authority is 
in media coverage, which remains unbalanced.  State print and 
electronic media also remains biased in favor of the ruling party, 
and there seems to be little that the ECZ can do to change this. 
 
PASSEN