TRANSPARENCY International Zambia (TI-Z) says there is a ploy involving electoral officials attempting to manipulate the process of totalling of results at some constituency totalling centres.

In a statement TI-Z executive director Maurice Nyambe said TI-Z had received information through its monitors that returning officers in some named constituencies in North Western Province and Luapula were acting against electoral procedures.

“Through our network of monitors currently undertaking Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT), we have been alerted to ploys involving electoral officials such has returning officers to manipulate the process of totalling of results at Constituency totalling centres. We have information that the returning officers at some named constituencies in North western Province and Luapula Province have asked all the monitors to leave the totalling centres and returning the morning for verified totals,” said Nyambe.

“This is not in line with the electoral procedures and must not be allowed to happen. The fact that these cases are from different provinces is particularly concerning. We therefore call upon the ECZ, political party agents, observers and monitors to quickly address this situation in order to guarantee the credibility of the election in the concerned areas.”