Friday, March 29, 2024

ECZ is on course to attain its targeted 1.7 million new voters

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ECZ
The Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) says the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) is on course to attain its targeted 1.7 million new voters.

AVAP Executive Director Richwell Mulwani said the 21 days extension period for voter registration will suffice to meet the target from the current 1.2 million.

Mr. Mulwani told ZANIS in an interview that the harmonisation of the mobile issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs) with the voter registration exercise has contributed to the impressive voter turnout of new registrations in the voters register.

“The 1.7 million target is attainable looking at the number which is at 1.2 million because the extension period will allow more new entrants to register. As AVAP we want to commend the Electoral Commission for the stride made in attaining the target,” he said.

He said apart from the extension of the registration period, other interventions such as the continuous registration of voters at all civic centres around the country up to March next year will enable more people to register.

Mr. Mulwani also noted that the move by the ECZ to come up with a system that enables people to register away from their respective voting centres is a commendable development that people who are currently away from their usual residence should take advantage of.

“ECZ should also be commended for coming up with a very user-friendly system which is promoting citizens’ participation required for a democracy. This most user-friendly system is allowing people to register from anywhere, if you are from Lusaka, you can register in Chipata, Kasama or anywhere but you will still vote from where you live,” he explained.

And Mr. Mulwani has urged the youths to participate in the voter registration exercise because it is their democratic right to participate in the election.

Mr. Mulwani disclosed that his organisation is currently carrying out programmes aimed at encouraging people to register as voters after which another programme will be introduced to get people to verify their details on the voters’ roll.

He said in order to ensure that next year’s tripartite elections are not characterized by apathy, AVAP will embark on a programme dubbed “Goal vote goal” to try and get people to vote in numbers.

Mr. Mulwani further noted with concern that AVAP has received information that some people who lose their voters’ card a few days after obtaining the document fear to go back and have them replaced.

He urged such people to have their cards replaced because it is within their rights to replace such documents even if they lose them within a short period after obtaining them.
“It is within their democratic right to go back and just fill in a police report and get their cards, no one will question or charge them for losing their cards,” Mr. Mulwani said.

On Wednesday 18th November, ECZ announced that it had captured 1,246,626 new voters in an exercise which ran from 14 September to 11th November this year.

1 COMMENT

  1. WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE IN NORTHWESTERN PROVINCE WHERE SOME YOUTHS UNDER 24 ARE BEING DELAYED. I SAW AN INCIDENT WHERE ALL CHILDREN AGED 19, 20, 21 AND 22 WITH THEIR PARENTS BEING RETURNED BACK HOME AT KAKOMBE PRIMARY SCHOOL 50KM AWAY FROM SOLWEZI.
    PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGES HAVE MANY CHALLENGES, SOME PARENTS DO NOT TAKE THEIR CHILDREN FOR NRCs FOR VARIOUS REASONS. FIND OUT FOR YOURSELVES.

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