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| National |
| Polls on May 18 |
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by
Pilirani Semu-Banda, 17 March 2003
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The Electoral Commission (EC) anounced Friday it has set May 18, 2004 as the date for the country’s tripartite elections but said it has not yet received any funding for the polls from either government or donors.
Deputy Chief Elections Officer (Electoral Services) Willie Kalonga said during a media committee meeting on the elections that the EC intends to announce results of the polls on May 20, but was worried that the electoral calendar was not on course haing been delayed by three months due to a lack of funding.
He said the EC will have to cancel some of its activities like demarcation of constituencies if it does not get funding in good time.
“We can still make it if we get funding by next week,” said Kalonga, adding that the EC will be transparent on how it conducts all its activities.
Commissioner Flora Chirwa said EC is optimistic that it will get funding and go ahead with the elections.
“We are hoping for the best and we hope that our calendar shall go on as scheduled. But if there’s any change,” said Chirwa.
She also announced that the EC will not be issuing voter identity cards as announced earlier saying this will be done after 2004.
Commissioner Augustine Mtendere said the EC has been given mandate by government to produce national identity cards which will also be used as voter identity cards.
The voter IDs project was expected to cost K330 million.
The EC needs K2 billion for the polls—K1 billion from donors and the other K1 billion from government.
Deputy Finance Minister Philip Bwanali said last month polls were not a priority, saying funding for the polls will be prioritised when “pressures of starvation decrease”.
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