PARALLEL VOTER TABULATION (PVT)

In recent times, Zambians have had and taken time to discuss a concept known as
parallel voter tabulation (PVT). This has led to people criticizing the whole concept
especially people from civil society organizations and they have their own reasons
for doing so. The ruling party has also spoken out on this matter and the president
has termed such a practice as criminal. The question is do we really understand
what this concept is and what it entails?

WHAT IS PVT?

The Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) is an election observation methodology that is

employed for independent verification (or challenge) of election results. It
involves observation of the voting and counting of ballots at the polling stations,
collection of official polling station results and independent tabulation of these
results, parallel to election authorities. If the PVT is performed on statistical
sample of the polling stations, it is called Quick Count1. The pioneers of this
monitoring methodology are the Philippine National Citizens Movement for Free
Elections. They were recommended in 1986 for a job well done when they
uncovered massive vote frauds in the elections held that year.

This methodology was also used in Zimbabwe. We can see that there is nothing
strange about this system and there is nothing criminal about it.

We should know at this point that the pvt is not provided for by the law but it
simply is a monitoring methodology employed by civil society organizations and
other stakeholders.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Ordinarily at a polling station there is a returning officer and once the voting is
complete, the returning officer will sign for the ballot boxes and they will be sent
for counting. With this system however, there is no sending of these boxes but
instead they are counted just there and then, votes recorded and every
stakeholder signs and keeps a copy of the results. There is not cooking of figures
and this is where the monitoring comes in. the figures that are presented must

1
http//www.wikpedea.org
correspond with what everyone has if there is my difference questions will arise
and this will create a podium for challenge.

All in all this process is not in this process is just a monitoring process and not
anything else. It also follows from the recent opinion given by the law association
of Zambia, that this process is in no way illegal and it cannot be said to be
criminal. My humble submission here follows that this process is not provided for
by the law and there is no law that allows anyone be it the president or minister
of information to allow the process to be conducted. Those advocating that it
should not be allowed are either ill informed or they have been paid to speak
against it.

Zambia needs this procedure to be applied to see to it that democracy is given a

chance to grow.

By: Jonas Zimba