The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has presented to the government a budget of 240 billion kwacha (about 68.57 million U.S. dollars) for the presidential by-election, Zambia Daily Mail reported Saturday.
ECZ director, Danny Kalale, said in an interview on Thursday in Lusaka that out of the 240 billion kwacha budget, the government had already disbursed 10 billion kwacha towards initial preparations.
He said the budget also includes an allocation for the training of polling assistants, coordinators and monitors.
Kalale said since the commission does not work in isolation, some cooperating partners had made pledges towards the holding of the presidential by-elections.
He said there would be no changes to the voters register in this year's presidential by-election because of the limited time.
Kalale said the commission would use the 2006 presidential election records and that the number of polling stations would remain at 6,240 countrywide.
He said national no mobile issuance of National Registration Cards (NRC) in the by-election would be conducted but those who have lost theirs but have voters cards could obtain them at various NRC offices.
Kalale urged those who have lost their voters' cards to register with the district councils for them to obtain duplicates.
He assured Zambians that the commission was ready to conduct a credible presidential by-election despite the limited time for preparations.
"The commission is very much ready to hold credible and fair elections despite the limited time for the preparations, which is our biggest challenge," Kalale said.
The presidential seat fell vacant after the death of Levy Mwanawasa on Aug. 19 at Percy Military Hospital in France.
Mwanawasa's second and final five year term of office was due to end in 2011.
The victor in the presidential by-election will serve the remainder of the late Mwanawasa's term before being subjected to another national election if he or she is readopted by the sponsoring party in 2011.
Source:Xinhua
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