a K48 billion budget to the Treasury for the continuous voter registration exercise scheduled to start in October this year.
Government allocated K5 billion in this year’s budget for the commencement of the continuous voter registration exercise.
Opening a symposium for members of Parliament on the continuous voter registration and delimitation exercise, ECZ chairperson Judge Florence Mumba said K48 billion will enable the Commission to open an average of 10 mobile registration centres in every district for a limited period
She said the amount does not include the acquisition of equipment, which will be purchased through the help of cooperating partners coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme.
Judge Mumba appealed to MPs to ensure that the ECZ is funded adequately for the successful implementation of the continuous voter registration exercise..
She said in 2007, a budget of K119 billion was submitted to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning but that only K84 million was approved, while in 2008, the same budget was submitted but was not approved.
Judge Mumba said the ECZ can not start the exercise on the funds approved in 2007 because they could not meet the basic minimum for starting the exercise.
“This demonstrates that Government has a lot to do in terms of making continuous voter registration a reality,” she said.
She also called on MPs to lend more support to the department of national registration so that its register is digitized like that of ECZ, saying this will facilitate the efficient update of the voters’ register on a regular basis.
The symposium was, however, badly attended as most MPs shunned it.
During official opening, only eight MPs out of the 158 were present and after that, only two remained.
Earlier, Ms Mumba, who insisted that the meeting should proceed despite the small number of MPs, said her office was assured by the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly that MPs would be available.
Judge Mumba said the ECZ has started preparing for the 2011 tripartite elections. She said the Commission views MPs as cardinal stakeholders in the electoral process, hence the on-going consultations.
Ms Mumba said ECZ’s plans for the 2011 elections will be impacted by the outcomes of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) deliberations.
She said critical among these is the number of constituencies the country will have, which is one of the terms of reference being addressed by the NCC.
Ms Mumba said the ECZ’s concern is that if the number of constituencies is increased, it will entail delimitation which requires a lot of time since the commission staff will have to visit all the 72 districts.
She said this matter must be addressed as soon as possible so that ECZ has enough time to conduct delimitation for effective election administration.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
For what? This huge amount can be used for developmental programs.
There is a way you can raise K48 billion kwacha without govt’s help. Go to the Lusaka Stock Exchange and sell bonds. Zambians and various other people will buy the bonds at hopefully a premium. I am sure you will be able to sell them at a premium once you tell Zambians it is concerning the elections.
You can then use the money raised through the sell of bonds for your activities and hold fund raising events like lunch outs, picnics,etc to raise money to pay back the money due on the bonds plus interest.
Problem solved.
# 1 you are very right….
My advice is that why can’t we use this money to invest in Zamtel or Unza and get the elections later after gaining benefits for the all nation. This can even bring us together. Let us ask God to bind us together and bring everything in light so that there is pure transparency. May God bless each and every leader of this nation to be faithful so that he reward them according to their desires that will bring glory and owner to his name which is above every name.
i admire the MPs for shunning it .ECZ has only lived up the expectation of the ruling govt.but this time the opposition does not need an updated register ,the old one IS JUST FINe.the zambians like me living outside need to be given my constitutional right to vote ,surely the judge of all people need to sell that to the authorities .but all they do year in year out is lobby for increased funding .the court have all the time overruled u ,and yet at no time have we heard any comment from ECZ.SHAME
The second one in after the judge is Rupiah’s brother. so watch out in 2011
This ECZ, NCZ & GRZ with their budgets have become too complicated for me to oversee. I guess it’s just like the saying goes: “money talks and nonsense walks”.
#3 that will bring “honour” and not “owner”.
NONSENCE AGAIN! WHEN WILL ZAMBIANS LEARN?
Pa Zed there is money kanshi mwa!!! soliciting for ZMK48 Billion? ECZ had in fact requested for ZMK119 Billion in 2007. If the government releases this money, it surely will mean that even the unpaid benefits for the much suffering retirees can be sourced.
mmmm this money is too much..