The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has expressed strong opposition to the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s (ECZ) proposal to remove the official mark on ballot papers, arguing that the move risks undermining electoral integrity and public confidence in future elections.
In a statement, DPP president Antonio Mwanza said the party believes the proposed amendment threatens safeguards that guarantee credible elections, warning that such changes could weaken confidence in the electoral process.
Mr. Mwanza stated that the party “strongly opposes the removal of the official mark on ballot papers,” arguing that the proposal introduces unnecessary risks to election management and verification procedures.
He explained that Article 46 of the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to vote in free and fair elections, adding that this right depends on reliable systems that protect the authenticity of ballots.
According to the DPP leader, the official mark serves as a key security feature used to confirm legitimate ballot papers issued by the Commission.
Mr. Mwanza said the official mark helps prevent counterfeit ballots and provides polling agents, observers, and courts with an objective means of verifying ballots, warning that its removal would weaken safeguards meant to protect the chain of custody during elections.
He further cautioned that “removing this safeguard weakens ballot security and exposes the electoral process to avoidable risks of malpractice,” emphasizing that electoral legitimacy depends not only on final results but also on public trust in the process itself.
The DPP leader acknowledged that the proposed Electoral Process Bill relies on administrative controls such as hand-marking of voters but argued that these measures remain dependent on human compliance and discretion.
He maintained that “administrative controls cannot replace objective and verifiable ballot security features,” adding that comparative electoral practice in emerging democracies supports strengthening ballot protections rather than reducing them.
