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OO RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLS #1340/01 2711451
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 281451Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3244
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LUSAKA 001340 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CASC ZA
SUBJECT: ZAMBIAN ELECTIONS: MINOR GLITCHES, BUT GENERALLY ORDERLY, 
PEACEFUL, SLOW ... AND A BIG TURNOUT 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Voting in the September 28 Zambian national tripartite 
(presidential, parliamentary, municipal) elections has been for the 
most part orderly, peaceful, and transparent throughout the first 
three-quarters of the balloting.  Some voting stations, especially 
in rural areas, opened an average of one hour late.  A few polling 
centers opened up to three hours late, due to the late arrival of 
voting supplies, such as stamps and ink.  Although there has been 
some grumbling about the long lines early in the day, international 
election observers report that voters have generally accepted the 
delays, and waited patiently in line.  In most places, monitors 
described a fairly organized and transparent process, no presence of 
campaign materials at the voting stations, and an unobtrusive police 
presence.  The chief complaint appears to be that the voting process 
is slow and that some voters who arrived as early as 4:00 a.m. to 
get in line (polling stations were scheduled to open at 6:00) waited 
for up to five hours to cast their ballots. 
 
¶2.  (U) According to monitors, a very small number of voters at 
selected polling stations (such as the City Library and Chawama in 
Lusaka) have been turned away from the polls, because local election 
officials could not find them on the voter rolls.  Officials 
properly told these voters to go to the Election Commission of 
Zambia (ECZ).  Some have refused to do so, complaining that they had 
already waited in line for up to four hours.  At the City Library 
station, of 3,300 registered voters, only eight had been turned away 
as of 2 p.m.  These voters created a disturbance that was reported 
on the local radio station "Radio Phoenix".  Monitors report that 
Patriotic Front presidential candidate Michael Sata toured the City 
Library polling station after the disturbance had ended. 
 
¶3.  (U) Reports from observers throughout the country indicate that 
turnout appears to be large, with many voters arriving at the polls 
early in the morning.  Monitors reported that at many of the smaller 
stations, at least 50 percent of the registered voters had already 
voted by noon.  An Embassy monitor reported that at one polling 
station in Southern Province, over 400 of their 486 registered 
voters had voted by early afternoon.  Victoria polling station, also 
in Southern province, reported to monitors that as of 9 a.m., 200 of 
their 719 registered voters had already voted, and another 200 were 
in line to vote.  Some monitors at larger polling stations reported 
that voting was slowed due to a lack of voting officials or 
sufficient material (such as stamps), and voting officials were not 
able to open more polling "streams" to handle the heavy turnout. 
One monitor reported that a polling station he visited had only 
opened one stream, rather than the planned three streams, because 
they only had one tent for the polling stations.  By midday, some of 
the voters who had been in line for up four hours had gone home 
without voting due to the slow lines, and monitors were unsure if 
they would return later in the day to try again. 
 
¶4.  (U) Local media reports seem to reflect this trend.  QFM Radio 
reported that by midday 300 of the 700 registered voters had already 
voted at one station, but the station also aired pleas from callers 
who requested the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) extend the 
voting period past the scheduled 6:00 p.m. closing time because some 
polling stations opened late.  ZNBC radio also reported similar 
requests from their listeners.  Radio Phoenix reported that there 
was a "near riot" at Mtendere "B" primary school because the polls 
opened almost two hours late, reporting that irate voters deflated 
the tires of a parked car.  (Note:  Post cautions that these are 
unconfirmed local media reports, and that the radio stations are 
also reporting that most polling is orderly and peaceful.  End 
note.)  According to the final ECZ briefing before the elections, 
polling stations which opened late will remain open past the 
scheduled 6:00 p.m. closure, to compensate for lost voting time. 
 
¶5.  (U) Ambassador toured several voting stations as an accredited 
observer.  She noted that special-needs voters, including elderly, 
handicapped, and illiterate voters, have been treated with respect 
and courtesy, and that polling officials have gone out of their way 
to assist these voters.  Ambassador visited a remote polling 
station, where long lines of voters were waiting patiently to cast 
their ballots.  Officials at this station were particularly well 
organized, and voting proceeded smoothly. 
 
¶6.  (U) There have been no reports of violence associated with the 
balloting.  Embassy RSO reports no major security concerns at this 
time.  Peace Corps Volunteer Leaders in all six provincial houses 
report that all is calm in their areas.  All USG facilities, 
including the Public Affairs Section in the downtown area, are 
unaffected by the polling.  There have been no reports of any 
incidents involving private American citizens. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment:  The generally smooth voting throughout the day 
reflects the ECZ's careful preparations for the elections.  The few 
scattered reports of glitches - such as some polling stations 
opening up to an hour late because there was no ink to mark voters' 
fingers - only serves to highlight the calm, orderly, and peaceful 
balloting that occurred throughout most of the country.  Party 
activists do not appear to be influencing voters as they head into 
the polling stations.  However, the real test for the conduct of the 
 
LUSAKA 00001340  002 OF 002 
 
 
elections will be the counting of the votes (to begin after polling 
stations close tonight); the transmission of results to the main 
Elections Results center in Lusaka; and the reaction of political 
parties when the results are announced.  It is too early to predict 
when the final results will be transmitted by the ECZ to the Supreme 
Court for certification, but some reports indicate that results 
might be ready by late Friday or early Saturday. 
 
MARTINEZ