By REBECCA MUSHOTA, MAYA NTANDA and MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI –
VOTING in the three parliamentary by-elections yesterday was marred by apathy with less than half of the registered voters turning up in most polling stations.
Rains in the morning in Lusaka and the Copperbelt kept most voters indoors and were  not able to vote in Chawama and Masaiti constituencies respectively.
In Senga Hill, the turnout was better than during the Presidential election in January but the figures remained low in comparison with the number of registered voters.
In Chawama constituency, voters at most polling stations voted without having to queue up.
A check at Andrew Mwenya polling station, around 10: 00 hours found, that 121 voters had cast their votes in all the three streams out of 1,950 registered voters.
Presiding officer Emmanuel Makulila said the voter turn-out was low but said that numbers could improve later in the day.
Mr Makulila said the polling station had not recorded any incidences.
At Lumumba Market polling station which has three streams, 50 people had cast their vote by 10:15 hours.
Presiding officer Aaron Kuchanga said the number of registered voters was 2,075.
Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu called for civility and peace when celebrating the by-election victories.
Mr Lungu said when he cast his vote at Andrew Mwenya polling station around 09:50 hours that winners of the elections should be magnanimous.
He said this when he spoke to Lusaka Province Patriotic Front (PF) chairperson Kenneth Kamba.
“Don’t mock the losers. Show magnanimity,” Mr Lungu said.
PF Chawama candidate Lawrence Sichalwe is contesting against Bywell Kaluba of UNIP, Charles Kaselwa United Party for National Development (UPND), Martha Mumba of the National Revolution Party and Benson Silwimba of Fourth Revolution Party.
In  Senga Hill more people had turned out to vote by midmorning in most polling stations compared to the Presidential elections in January.
At Senga Basic School polling station, more than 200 electorates had voted out of 1,229 registered voters by 11:00 hours.
Presiding officer Alex Sikazwe said the turnout was good compared to the 50 people that had voted during the same period in the last elections.
Mr Sikazwe said more people were expected to cast their ballot before the close of the polling station at 18:00 hours.
Presiding officer at Mukatula polling station, Kelvin Banda said voting was peaceful and the turnout was fair.
Mr Banda said out of 1, 311 registered voters, 350 had voted by midday.
At Mwiluzi polling station, assistant presiding officer Elizabeth Musonda said 128 people had voted out of 525 registered voters by press time.
Kapembwa Simbao is contesting on the PF ticket while Giles Yambayamba is contesting on the UPND.
Voting in Masaiti started on a low note following a heavy down pour that was experienced in the early hours of yesterday.
At Chamunda polling station, voting was temporarily suspended at 09:00 hours because of a faulty Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) official stamp.
Before the suspension, about 95 people had already voted.
Presiding officer Esnart Simbule advised the voters who had gone to vote, to wait for the other ECZ mark which was expected to be delivered ECZ officials.
Some of the registered voters were found outside the polling station awaiting delivery of the official stamp.
UNIP candidate Lason Musumali who is a registered voter at the polling station, managed to vote around 08:00 hours.
Patriotic Front (PF) aspiring candidate Michael Katambo cast his vote at 07:38 hours at Mishikishi East polling station while UPND’s Peter Mumba did not vote as he is not a registered voter for Masaiti constituency.
At Chibanda polling station 45 voters turned up by 10:00 hours out of the 348 registered voters.
Centre for the Blind which has a total of 466 registered voters had only one voter at 06:00 hours and voting was delayed due to the rains.
At Fikanda about 70 people had cast their votes by 08:40 hours and after the rains, a number of people started to troop to the polling station in numbers.
However, voter apathy continued in the afternoon with Chamunda, which has a total of 892 registered voters recording only 200 voters by 15:20 hours.
Elsewhere at Chibanda polling station, only 97 voted out of the  348 registered voters at 15:30 while at Fikanda 253 voters turned up out of the 1076 registered voters around 16:00 hours.