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Eunice Roberts of the Ghana Electoral Commission, a member of the Commonwealth Observer Group to the 2006 Zambia elections, takes notes outside a polling station on election day, 28 September.

Zambia polls efficient and transparent, say Commonwealth observers

28 September 2006

Report says polls represent significant improvement on country’s 2001 elections

Zambians have exercised their democratic rights with enthusiasm and in a peaceful and orderly atmosphere, Commonwealth Observer Group chairperson Paul Bérenger said in an interim statement issued in Lusaka on 29 September 2006.

Stating that the Group was impressed by the commitment and professionalism of polling and counting officials, Mr Bérenger congratulated the Electoral Commission of Zambia and its chairperson for the efficient and transparent manner in which the country's general elections on 28 September were organised.

"All the indications are that these elections, in almost all aspects, represent a significant improvement on the 2001 polls," he noted.

Highlighting the commendable conduct of the police and security forces, Mr Bérenger added that there were no undue restrictions on the activities of political parties.

However, the Group observed that "there were some cases of delays in opening the polls due to logistical problems such as the late arrival of polling materials".

The Observers noted that delays and other shortcomings in the process of issuing national identity cards may have resulted in some newly-qualified voters not being able to exercise their ballot. They also stressed the need to "significantly increase women's representation at all levels of national life".

The Group will prepare a final report detailing its conclusions and recommendations on the whole electoral process, including the processing of results, which was still ongoing on 29 September. The Group will finalise its report before its departure from Zambia on 5 October, and submit it to Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon. He will forward it to the Government of Zambia, the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the leadership of the political parties that took part in the elections and, thereafter, to all Commonwealth governments.

Of the five candidates in the presidential contest, the leading ones were President Levy Mwanawasa, former minister Michael Sata, and Hakaiende Hichilema, who leads an alliance of three parties.

The full text of the Commonwealth Observer Group's interim statement can be found here.