A legal practitioner has criticised the approval of electronic transmission of election results with manual collation retained as a backup, describing the move as a technical method of institutionalising electoral fraud.
He made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday while reacting to the passage of the Electoral Amendment Act by the National Assembly.
The legislation, recently approved by both chambers, allows electronic transmission of election results while maintaining manual collation as an alternative in the event of technical challenges.
Speaking during the interview, the lawyer argued that the arrangement gives excessive discretion to presiding officers to determine what constitutes a communication failure and when results should be uploaded.
According to him, the provision could create opportunities for manipulation between polling units and collation centres, particularly as courts continue to recognise paperwork as primary evidence in election disputes.
He warned that the country must avoid returning to past electoral challenges, stressing that civil society organisations are likely to continue resisting the provision until it is reviewed.
He emphasised the need for reforms that strengthen transparency and public confidence in the electoral process, noting that any loophole in result transmission could undermine trust in future elections.
