Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID) Executive Director Horrance Chilando says it is working out modalities with the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and the opposition political parties on increasing voter-turn-out during elections .
Mr. Chilando says the modalities are aimed at encouraging voters to participate and exercise their democratic human right and not shun voting during elections.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Chilando said this in an interview in Lusaka today.
Mr. Chilando says the parties have already agreed on the way forward on raising voter turn-out and a date for an inter-party meeting has been set for next week.
He said voter education is a mammoth task and is not the sole responsibility of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
He said political parties themselves who have a critical role of sensitizing the electorates during election time because they are the ones who need votes in an election.
“The Centre would like to state that voter education is a mammoth task and is not the sole responsibility of ECZ but political parties themselves who have a critical role of sensitising the electorates during election period,” Mr. Chilando said.
Mr. Chilando’s sentiments comes in the wake of the just ended Chawama, Masaiti and Senga-Hill parliamentary by-elections that were marred with low voter turn-out in all the three constituencies.
He commended all the political parties that participated in the three parliamentary elections.
He said civil society organizations also have a duty to undertake voter and civic education.
He disclosed that a vigorous voter education programme would be carried out by the Centre in conjunction with political parties next year when Zambia goes to the general election.
He commended ECZ for the strides it is making in sensitizing the electorates within its available resources.
