Zambia's plan to announce results of the 2011 general elections via the Internet fell through, after unknown people hacked the Electoral Commission of Zambia's (ECZ's) election results page, and changed results in favour of the Patriotic Front's (PF's) candidate, Michael Sata.
By using the Internet, the ECZ hoped to enhance efficiency and transparency in the transmission of the results of the election, which was contested by 10 presidential candidates.
The fake results were disputed by the ECZ, which opted to announce the election outcome via radio and television after it was verified. Despite this, Sata was declared the winner on 23 September, and becomes Zambia's fifth president.
However, his election as president puts the future of the Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel), owned by LapGreen Networks of Libya, in the balance. This as he promised during campaigning to reverse the sale of the company once he was elected president.
Sata claims Zamtel was dubiously sold to LapGreen Networks by the Zambian government so that government officials could benefit from the deal.
Zamtel was sold to LapGreen Networks last year in a move the Zambian government claimed was aimed at saving the company from closure, as it was operating at a loss.
Sata alleges the 75% majority shares sold to LapGreen Networks should have been sold to Zambians in order to empower them and give them full ownership of the once public-owned company. The Zambian government owns the remaining 25%.
Since the deal, however, Zamtel has improved its services, as the new owners have brought in new technologies, including a new-generation network, and the company has been able to compete with MTN and Airtel in Zambia's telecoms market.
Briefing the media at the ECZ results tallying centre, ECZ chairperson Ireen Mambilima said the results on the Web site were unverified, as they were posted by the hackers. “The results component of the Web site has since been suspended, pending further investigation into the matter,” said Mambilima.
The Web site was widely quoted by international media, and election observers indicated that Sata had won the elections a day before the winner was known and declared. It was the first time the ECZ was trying to continuously announce election results via the Internet as they came in from election centres across the country, while periodically announcing the results on radio and television.
Zambians voted in the presidential, parliamentary and local government elections last week to usher in a new president, lawmakers and civic leaders to manage the affairs of the country.
The country's president, Rupiah Banda, who served for only one term, was seeking re-election. From rural areas impassable by road and still not yet connected to mobile communication, the results of the elections were being sent to the ECZ tallying centre in the capital, Lusaka, via satellite phones.
As a result of the hacking, election results were delayed for hours, causing sporadic protests by youths, co-ordinated by phones and social media networks. The ECZ had agreed with all political parties to finish counting and to announce all the results within 48 hours after voting ended, but failed to do so, raising suspicion that the ECZ wanted to tamper with the results in favour of Banda.
However, inspector-general of police Francis Kabonde warned that the police would arrest anyone who took part in unrest that resulted in damage to property.
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