The opposition UPND has called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to stop the ongoing countrywide registration of voters until the issuance of National Registration Card (NRC) is completed.
UPND Deputy Spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo has since petitioned Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson Justice Esau Chulu to consider putting on hold the registration of voters until the issuance of NRC’S is complete in all designated areas.
Mr Lifwekelo said the issuance of National Registration Cards being supervised by Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila was to greater extent a sham especially in areas perceived to be opposition strong holds.
“We can only assume maybe it’s because the Minister responsible Davies Mwila is a PF cadre and would like to disadvantage the opposition. We wish to serve a warning that UPND with other political parties and stakeholders will not take kindly to this ploy and will not hesitate to seek a court order restraining ECZ from proceeding with the registration of voters if Issuance of NRCs in other provinces is not abandoned for now,” Mr Lifwekelo warned.
He said Government is fully aware that a lot of first time voters especially the youths are eager to obtain NRC’s and subsequently register as voters.
“This is their democratic right which they must exercise without fear or favour,” Mr Lifwekelo observed.
And Mr Lifwekelo has urged UPND members that they are free to wear party barrettes which form part of the party uniform, explaining that the directive by the Patriotic Front (PF) leadership to ban the use of barrettes was purely an internal matter and police should stop misleading the public by claiming that barrettes have been banned.
“The PF directive was very clear, that they had been infiltrated by criminal elements within their file and ranks who were using PF barrettes to rob people hence the ban. Our uniform has a UPND symbol embedded on them and police can easily identify our members. Otherwise police must stop intimidating our members who have nothing to do with criminals that have infiltrated PF.”
Comment: This is good we want a fair playing field,politising national duties like this one wont help but lets all ensure that everyone gets nrc & voter’s card without favor or fear,anyone found influencing the insuance of these two documents should sued and face legal charges in courts of law,this is not pf exercise but for all zambians
HH and his cronies have loser attitudes and such people can never be leaders. All they will ever do is talk their throats sore to people who have no leverage in society. bye Felicia!
yes nabo tight rigging starts from voter registration
Come on UPND, Voter registration dates were announced several months ago and nobody sued the exercise then. When shall all the youth have collected the NRCs? Voter registration and NRC collection are going on concurrently. It’s your duty to mobilise voters in your strongholds to rush for both cards (NRC and voter’s card) within the grace period otherwise accusations that its being done selectively has no basis and is an exercise in futility.
Try to understand reasons behind statement before making out of contest comment.
UPND or any other party does not issue NRC. Therefore, it is plausible that “supervision” by the Hon. Minister may be “influenced” by his membership to PF.
Bwana Lifwekelo, please wake up….
Issuance of NRCs is an ongoing exercise…it is done all year around.
Issuance of NRCs in OTHER PROVINCES is not abandoned for now… Which other provinces are those?
Zed childish politics!!
I agree with UPND party why should new voter registration begin in some parts of the country when others are still struggling to get NRC’s?And voter registration will only last for two months that means those areas that have not yet given NRC’s will be disfranchised.So the process of giving them NRC’s will be just academic exercise and this is some sort of rigging the elections.We don’t want this to happen please this is a recipe for anarchy in a nation
A failed leader is one who tries to change the rules of the game just to stay in power. Zambia needs strong institutions that cannot be easily corrupted by a politician. Ecz is such a weak organ that easily dances to pf’s tune, and has gone by pf’s idea of selective issuance of NRCs and voters cards. Let all provinces exhaust the nrc business and then begin the issuance of voters cards in all provinces. One Zambia???
He meant 2nd phase of mobile NRC registration it’s true it been abondoned it was supposed to be launched on 12th August 2015 in Lusaka, Southern and Western Provinces but up to now there is nothing going on in these provinces.
Issuing of NRC’s is an ongoing exercise and by this definition it does not stop. So what is Mr Lifwekelo talking about here.There are no strong holds, if your party wants to win elections, then you should cover the whole country and convince everyone that you are better than the current ruling party and no one has stopped anyone from doing that. Continue complaining until next you shall hear the date of elections because the Judiciary cannot stop the Executive in managing the elections thru’ the ECZ whether you like it or not.
you will never find a leveled playing field. what UPND was to do was to wait untill unfairnes is observed. Southern province is not the only province where NRCs have not been issued. The best UPND could do was to appeal to ECZ to delay voter registration in those areas where they feel voters need to have NRCs. PF wanted your MPs to be ministers you refused so let them do their job
Pantu mufwaya ukucomplicator ifintu! In this age of IT why do we need to register as voters? The one NRC should be enough. All govt should be doing is endorse your voters registration driver’s licence etc electronically and the one card carries all details. But as is usual with us we are waiting for a white man to come and show us how to do this yet we have hundreds of thousands of computer experts right in Lusaka
Cry babies as usual! They are already preparing excuses for the impending 2016 catastrophic loss!
You are just a sipinyi wena Lifwekelo!
Upnd has to be tough especially the last months of next year, of will use all sorts of tactics and as Africans we think this is normal, just because we are impoverished and can not run to anyone to assist us.
My conclusion is that HE Lungu is by far a better leader for he is a humble and peaceful person.We need to support Govt.effort in addressing the current problems facing our great nation.So far HE the President has demonstrated good leadership.Cheers HE we are praying for you.May the Lord help you to lead us, for leadership is from above.
Comment: Cry baby cry!!
Strong hold, strong hold, this is equal to tribalism/ regionalism. Its utter nonsense. Lifwekelo has a voters card and wants to deny others the opportunity, it’s not good. That’s why I always say that these fellows only want to use you to achieve their selfish desires. Even the ones calling for a national vote on the constitution, do not want to respect the President who was equally voted in by the same people they want to use for the constitution.
Comment:Nrc’s are being issued in every district throughout a year sir if u want presideNcy wait for god he will answer you than bickering everyday it will not help u god knows the president in 2021 coz for next year we already have lungu
Good call these fools think we are dull. PF is as good as dead all those cling to it are ticks…
Lusaka times masipa amina mutwile lukuba tuni