By FLAVIOR CHISHALA –
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has revised nomination fees for people seeking offices of the mayor, council chairperson and councillor ahead of the general elections.
The nomination fees for the mayor, initially at K10,000,  have now been reduced to K7,500 while  candidates for the council chairperson would pay K3,500 instead of the initial K5,000.
Councillors for the city and municipal councils would pay K1,500 instead of K2,000 as councillors for district councils would be required to pay K750 instead of K1,500.
ECZ public relations manager Cris Akufuna said presidential and parliamentary nomination fees remained unchanged at K75,000 and K10,000, respectively.
He said in a statement that presidential aspiring candidates were required to deposit a minimum of 50 per cent of the non-refundable nomination fees in the ECZ account number   0710087861032 at Investrust Bank and  0068011110005 at Finance Bank Longacres Branch from now to May 17, 2016.
Mr Akufuna said presidential aspirants should also present to the Commission bank deposit slip as proof of payment before the nomination day.
“All presidential aspiring candidates should ensure that they present to the returning officer bank deposit slips as proof of full payments of the nomination fees with their nomination papers on the scheduled nomination day,” he said.
Mr Akufuna also emphasised that the Commission would not accept any cash payments from presidential candidates on the nomination day.
He said parliamentary and mayoral candidates should also deposit the money in the same accounts and present deposit slips on nomination day.
He said unlike presidential aspirants, parliamentary and mayoral candidates should deposit the full amounts of the nomination fees in the ECZ bank accounts before the nomination day.
Mr Akufuna said aspiring council chairpersons and councillors would be required to make cash deposits of the nomination fees as they lodge their nomination forms with the returning officer on the nomination day.