PETER SICHALI and NOEL IYOMBWA
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) consider undertaking continuous voter registration to capture all eligible voters including those that will be eligible before elections next year , United Progressive People(UPP)president Saviour Chishimba has said.
Meanwhile Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) president Sean Tembo has said the four days voter registration extension period was not enough as more people are willing to register.
In an interview Mr Tembo said that the fact that people are still turning out in good numbers is a sign that more people are willing to register as voters.
And Dr Chishimba said it was important for ECZ to make the voter registration open and continuous so as to avoid de-franchising citizens who are eligible to vote in next year’s general elections.
“There are those citizens that will be turning 18 years before August elections and the constitution does not provide a period for voter registration because some will be turn 18 two months before the elections and these people will be disadvantaged,” Dr Chishimba said.
Dr Chishimba said in as much ECZ has calendar of activities leading up to 2021 elections it was important to leave voter registration period open to run alongside other activities in the electoral process.
He said ECZ should embrace e-governance in the management of the electoral process for efficiency and increasing participation of citizens.
And Dr Chishimba has said there is need for the Commission to seriously start considering the issue of diaspora voting so that citizens in the diaspora can participate in decision making.
“People have been preaching about e-government and it is important that we embrace and computerize even the management of elections,”Dr Chishimba said.
Meanwhile, Dr Chishimba said UPP had no intentions of forming an alliance with any political party.
Dr Chishimba said UPP will go in 2021 elections sole and will field candidates at all levels starting will local government through to the presidency.
And Mr Tembo said that the Electoral Commission of Zambia should have extended to 10 days so that more people can register because more people want to register.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has extended the voter registration exercise by four days.
The exercise which was scheduled to end on December 12, 2020 will end on December 20, 2020.
ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Patrick Nshindano said the extended voter registration exercise will commence on Thursday December 17, 2020 for a period of four days up to midnight on Sunday December 20, 2020.
He stated that during the voter registration extension, special attention will be given to all civic centers in all the 116 districts and registration centers which had high numbers of eligible voters.
Mr Nshindano further stated that the Commission has registered six million, four hundred and seven thousand, seven hundred and fifty two (6,407,752) voters for the entire period of the registration exercise out of their target of registering nine million.
He noted that the commission is highly encouraged by the numbers captured during the voter registration period.
He further stated that the commission is pleased to have set a higher target as it allowed them to prepare adequately for the exercise.
Mr Nshindamo indicated that 76.1% of eligible voters which is 8.4 million have been captured.
He added that 11,359 eligible persons in lawful custody have been registered as voters out of the (16,000 targeted by the commission.
Mr Nshindano further explained that Voter registration for persons in lawful custody which commenced on Wednesday 9th of December 2020 and concluded on Saturday 12th December 15, 2020 has also been extended for four days. He said that that the commission has been encouraged by the response from the persons in lawful custody to
