People turn out in numbers to vote as peace prevails

There has been high turnout recorded so far in this year’s general elections. People have been queueing up in various polling stations dotted around the country, eager to cast their vote.

At the Lusaka City Council Library polling station in the central business district, polling staff talked to said a queue started forming as early as 04:00hrs. A check by a Zambian Eye crew that visited the polling station around 09:00 hours found a long queue meandering from the polling station through to Cha Cha Cha and Nkwazi roads, up to Cairo Road.

A voter who identified himself as Emmanuel Mukuka told Zambian Eye in an interview that he had been in the queue since 05:00 hours. He explained that he was eager to exercise his right to vote because he wanted to see change and cited the high cost of living as one of his primary motivations.

Meanwhile, an anonymous caller from Chirundu, Lusaka Province has told Zambian Eye that there is a huge turnout of voters at polling stations in the area. He was however quick to state that voters weren’t eager to vote in the referendum as they expressed ignorance on what it was all about.

He said some were tearing the referendum ballots while others were simply writing “I don’t know what this is”.

And in Kasama, Radio Mano reports that people started lining-up as early as 05:00 hours to cast their votes in the general election which is being held together with the referendum.

However, voting at Chifwani Primary in Kasama central has delayed. By 06: 20 hours no electorates had cast is vote. But at 06:25 hours, Presiding officer Kasande Nyirenda opened the pooling station and attributed the delay to verification of agents and observers.

Ndola has also recorded overwhelming turnot in various polling stations across the city, according to reports reaching us.

However, there was confusion at James Phiri stream in Ndola Central after voting was delayed by nearly an hour, leading to protests by voters many of whom had lined up as early as 05:00 hours.