The Anti- Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has commended the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for announcing the date of the long waited continuous voter registration.
Speaking to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today, AVAP Executive Director, Bonny Tembo said the exercise would help people acquire the voter’s cards and vote in future elections.
He said AVAP had received the news with gladness especially that it has taken so long for the date to be announced.
Mr. Tembo said Statutory Instrument number 55 of 2001 empowers the commission to conduct this exercise but has not been able to do so since 2001 due to inadequate funds.
He said stakeholders were getting concerned over the prolonged delays despite continuous calls to have the exercise commence.
He noted that the announcement would help to build the confidence of stakeholders who include politicians on the credibility and the operations of the commission
Mr. Tembo, however, said the change in the methodology from the traditional to the newly devised digital mobile registration might affect the registration process as people are not familiar with it.
He has since advised the ECZ to enhance its voter registration and mend all the loopholes that might create problems in the exercise.
Mr. Tembo has also advised political parties to take advantage of the announcement and sensitize their members to get the voters cards.
He said ECZ should update the voter’s registers by removing all the deceased and those who have relocated to other places.
Meanwhile Mr. Tembo has called for the establishment of the Voters’ Registration Trust Fund where government and the donor community could put their money meant for the voter registration exercise.
He has also appealed to the donors to sponsor civil society organizations to help ECZ sensitize the public before the continuous voter registration commences in June.
Mr. Tembo added that his organization would help ECZ to sensitize the public on the need to be registered with particular focus in the rural areas where people do not have adequate information.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has today announced the date for the commencement of the continuous voter’s registration.
ECZ Chariperson, Justice Florence Mumba announced that the exercise would commence in June and will continue until September this year.
Justice Mumba made the announcement at a meeting with officials from political parties’ in Lusaka today.
ZANIS
