2021 Elections: Question Marks Over Ballot Papers

As plans are underway for the next round of national elections in 2021 the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has stated that it does not intend to pay for stakeholders to travel to Dubai in order to verify the ballot papers this time around, as was the case in 2016.

Instead political parties and civil society organisations that wish to verify the process will have to foot their own bill, according to Chief Electoral Officer Patrick Nshindano. The ECZ has defended the move on the basis of the difficult fiscal environment.

The ballot paper printing was a source of heated dispute during the 2016 polls, following a controversial decision by the ECZ to award the contract for printing the papers to a little-known Dubai-based firm called Al Ghurair.

At a cost of US$3 million some stakeholders also questioned why the printing was not done locally prompting President Lungu to state that in 2021 ballot papers would be printed domestically. However, the recent announcement by the ECZ suggests this may no longer be the case and concerns remain as to whether local printers will be ready for the job.

Ballot papers have been printed in the country on previous occasions, including the 1991 elections in which the movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) ousted the United National Independence Party (UNIP).