ECZ urged to extend the continuous voter registration exercise

THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF ZAMBIA HAS BEEN URGED TO EXTEND THE MOBILE VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE  TO ENSURE THAT  MANY ZAMBIANS ARE CAPTURED.

CONTINUOUS VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE, WHICH ENDED YESTERDAY, ONLY CAPTURED SLIGHTLY OVER ONE MILLION VOTERS AGAINST THE 2.5 MILLION PEOPLE WHICH THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF ZAMBIA HAD PROJECTED.

BUT SPEAKIING TO RADIO PHOENIX IN LUSAKA TODAY, CITIZENS FOROM EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SIMON KABANDA HAS ADVISED GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE EXERCISE IS EXTENDED WHILE ANOTHER STRATEGY SHOULD BE IN PUT INTO FORCE.

MR KABANDA NOTED THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE VOTER REGISTRATION HAS LOW NUMBERS IS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT MOST CITIZENS DO NOT HAVE NATIONAL REGISTRATION CARDS.

HE HAS SINCE SUGGESTED THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD ENSURE THAT THE ISSUANCE OF NATIONAL REGISTRATION CARDS AND VOTER REGISTRATION IS CONDUCTED AT THE SAME TIME.

AND THE FOUNDATION FOR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS HAS EXPRESSED DISSATISFACTION WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE REGISTERED AS VOTERS IN THE JUST ENDED VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE.

FODEP INFORMATION OFFICER MCDONALD CHIPENZI SAYS THERE HAS BEEN HIGH LEVELS OF APATHY CHARACTERISING THE VOTER REGISTRATION EXERCISE BOTH IN THE FIRST REGISTRATION PERIOD AND DURING THE EXTENSION PERIOD.

MR. CHIPENZI SAYS IT IS INCREDIBLE THAT AFTER FIVE AND HALF MONTHS OF REGISTRATION, PEOPLE STILL REMAINED UNMOTIVATED TO REGISTER AS VOTERS.

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