Thursday, March 28, 2024

FDD embarks on voter sensitization to help curb voter apathy

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The opposition party Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) on the Copperbelt will soon embark on a voter sensitization programme in a bid to avoid apathy in the 2016 tripartite elections.

Copperbelt FDD Coordinator Nshingebuka Shamenda told ZANIS in a telephone interview in Ndola yesterday that his party would not want to see the low voter turnout which characterized the January 20, 2015 Presidential Polls repeat itself.

Mr. Shamenda said that the programme will start in Ndola where door to door voter sensitization exercises will be undertaken to educate people on the importance of exercising their right to vote.

“As FDD on the Copperbelt we decided to sensitize voters on the importance of exercising their right to vote, we don’t want the low voter turnout that characterized the January 20, 2015 Presidential election.

We will be going door to door leaving no stone unturned just to make sure everyone knows their right to vote and the importance of it,” he said.

Mr Shamenda stated that his party realized that it was not only the duty of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to sensitize the general public on the importance of voting as a human right.

Mr. Shamenda also observed that the number of rejected votes in the January 20 Presidential polls was high hence the need to educate people on how to choose their preferred candidates than spoiling votes in such a manner.

According to the January 20, 2015 presidential election statistics, the voter turnout stood at 32.36 percent and the number of rejected votes stood at 17 313.

“The number which our candidate (Edith Nawakwi) had is less than the number of rejected votes, imagine if all the rejected votes were given to madam Nawakwi, we would have gotten 30,000 plus votes.

This is the reason we have decided to go flat out to sensitise the general public on both the importance of voting and how to vote to reduce the number of rejected votes and voter apathy,” Mr. Shamenda said.

He has since called on other political parties to educate the general public on the benefits of voting and to show them how to vote than relying on ECZ alone.

9 COMMENTS

  1. What a NGOs doing? Come to think of it. The NGOs are so sensitive to government intervention in their operations. They are untouchable and yet very few of them are really doing anything positive for the poor. FDD and indeed other opposition political parties should direct their meager resources towards mobilising their parties and campaigning. It is really unfair to expect FDD and other political parties to carry out this civic responsibility.

    NGOs should be the ones to work with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to educate voters. Shaaa. Disgusting. Why do we continue to embrace stone-age thinking.

    Forget about the party in government not having used tax payers’ money in the January 15 elections. What proof is there?

    • Voter apathy will never change in Zambia and this is due to the fact that the calibre of politicians is the same. Every campaign the candidates lie to the people. They don’t deliver what they promise. Firstly the masses the best way of punishing the politician is “nshakamuvotele” not realizing that they are doing everyone a disfavour. We would be better off if people turned up and voted against the candidate. Secondly the idea of declaring voting day a holiday needs to stop because people want to stay home and enjoy the day. I understand the holiday is to allow some people to travel for voting but truly how many do? There should be a system in place so that travel is not a part of voting and one can still vote even if registered in a different polling station other than where one is…

  2. A party that wants to win elections must ensure its members are registered voters. UPND was duped by crowds at their rallies and thought they were going for landslide. When I saw the rally in MANDEVU I was convinced HH will carry the day. Alas only a third of the crowd were UPND members. Of that third only 20 were registered voters. So do the homework first and do it now.

    • even if one is registered in a different polling station other than the one one is living in. When are we going to make voting easier? Every election there is talk of voter apathy but what has been done. Zilch! Nada! The queues can also be off putting. ECZ find a solution to this. It is not really up to parties to push this drive but you. The only time ECZ comes into the limelight is during elections. I hope you guys don’t get paid outside of elections.

  3. THIS ORGANIZATION IS ALSO CHALLENGING FDD AS A PARTY TO CALL FOR THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. THE PARTY CAN NOT JUST BE RUNNING AS A PERSONAL TO HOLDER NGO. YERARS IN YEARS OUT THE SAME PERSON NO CONVETION FOR MANY YEARS.
    THE WOMAN TALKS TOO MUCH AS EVIDENCE AT THE TOTALLING CENTRE WHEN CHRIS AKUFUNA HAD TO CARTEL HER FROM CONTINOUS TALKING WITHOUT SWALLOWING THE SALIVA.

  4. Ba Edith Nawakwi knows that she cannot the Presidetial election.She must just humble herself and stand for parliamentary seat.

  5. This is just an excuse to campaign out of electoral season. It’s incredible how crafty these opposition parties are. It’s a lack of discipline to act within the Democratic processes set up by law.

    The ECZ should be carrying out that programme NOT. Opposition parties.

    HH is going to be ‘visiting the provinces’ to thank them for supporting him?!

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