PRESS RELEASE

ZAMBIA EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE (ZEC)

Statement on the 20th January 2015 Presidential Election

1. INTRODUCTION

On 20th January 2015, Zambians went to the polls to elect 6th Republican President following the demise of President Michael Chilufya Sata, on28th October 2014.May he rest in peace. We, the Catholic Bishops in Zambia, congratulate Mr. Edgar Lungu on his election as Zambia’s Sixth President. We wish God’s rich and abundant blessings in his leadership of the Zambian nation.We commend the other ten candidates who participated in the election for exercising their constitutional right to participate in one of our democratic processes.

As part of its overall effort to observe the 2015 presidential election, the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) conducted a Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT). The PVT methodology provides independent assessment of official results based on the official announced and posted results from a nationally representative sample of polling stations and polling streams selected by a trained statistician.

1. Introduction

The Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) is a monitoring coalition comprising four faith based organizations namely, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) and the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) and with Caritas Zambia under ZEC. The Chief Executives of CCZ, EFZ, JCTR and ZEC serve as CCMG’s Steering Committee. Now that Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) h as announce d the official results , CCMG is able to independently verify the accuracy of the presidential election results.

1. Introduction

The Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) comprises four faith based organisations namely, the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) and the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) and with Caritas Zambia under ZEC. The Chief Executives of CCZ, EFZ, JCTR and ZEC serve as CCMG’s Steering Committee and all of the monitors were carefully selected from these partner organisations.

The entire statement in PDF format can be found here:

1. Introduction

The Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) has deployed a total of 1,10 8 trained and accredited monitors for the 2015 presidential elections : 105 roving monitors, 300 general monitors and 703 PVT monitors . The PVT monitors deployed to a carefully selected nationally representative sample of 703 polling streams located at 501 polling stations in every province, district and constituency of the country. PVT Monitors report in near real time by sending in observer reports throughout the day via coded text messages.

As of 11 00 hrs CCMG ’ s PVT monitors report ed that across the country the vast majority of polling stations open ed and had all their necessary supplies . This is based on reports fr om 6 48 of CCMG ’ s 703 PVT monitors ( 9 2 %) located in every province and every district (except Chama) .

Those CCMG PVT monitors who have not yet reported do not have cell phone coverage ; they wil l report at a later time.

The Press Stament issued by the Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) on Friday, 16th January 2015 can be found here: http://caritaszambia.org/index.php/publications/general/file/71-ccmg-press-statement-16th-january-2015

THE Christian Churches Monitoring Group says Zambians should strictly assess those that are contesting the January 20, 2015 presidential election.

And the Christian Churches Monitoring Group is preparing for a Parallel Vote Tabulation ( PVT) exercise to be used as a tool for monitoring the integrity of the election results for the presidential election.

Faith- Based Organisations, namely, Council of Churches in Zambia ( CCZ), Zambia Episcopal Conference ( ZEC), Evangelical Fellowship in Zambia ( EFZ) and the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections ( JCTR), have come together under a consortium called Christian Churches Monitoring Group ( CCMG) to monitor the presidential election and the entire electoral process.

2nd December 2014

PRESS RELEASE

PAY THE FARMERS NOW AND STOP THIS HEARTLESS INJUSTICE

It has become unbearable to watch peasant farmers pleading with government through its agent, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA), to pay them for the maize they delivered to FRA in the last marketing season. Who will hear the cry of these people? They have pleaded on how they have been rendered destitute by government’s refusal to pay them their dues which farmers badly need to pay for their children’s school fees, pay for medication and other livelihood needs. Even worse, their capacity to participate in the just started farming season has clearly been impaired and literally sabotaged by government’s refusal to pay them their money. All we hear every day when they cry is some government official making the usual false promises of paying them soon! But how soon is soon? This is a national scandal of which government must be ashamed of.