EXTEND NRC REGISTRATION

…as the lawmaker says failing to do so will disenfranchise people, says failing to issues NRCs to eligible citizens was failing in democracy itself.

By BARNABAS ZULU

CHILUBI Member of Parliament, Mulenga Fube, has urged Government to extend the issuance of National Registration Cards (NRC) to eligible citizens so that they could participate in next year’s general election.
Mr Fube said the mobile national registration programme, which only lasted for 45 days had left many Zambians, particularly in rural areas stranded without NRCs.
He said unless Government intervened by reopening and extending the exercise, eligible voters would be locked out of the forthcoming voter registration process scheduled for October, this year.
“In Chilubi and many other rural areas, people are struggling to acquire NRCs because the equipment being used, such as printers, is not functioning properly. This is unacceptable because it is leading to the disenfranchisement of our people,” Mr Fube said in an interview.He said an NRC was a prerequisite for voter registration and participation in national affairs, and stated that failure to issue the document in time was equivalent to denying citizens of their constitutional right to vote.“As a result of these logistical failures, people are systematically being disenfranchised. It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security to ensure that every eligible Zambian has access to this important document,” he said.
Mr Fube appealed to Mr Jack Mwiimbu, the Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister to act swiftly and provide resources necessary to guarantee a smooth and efficient resumption of the exercise.“The minister must rectify this situation without delay. We cannot have a scenario where citizens are excluded from participating in national affairs simply because printers are not working or because officers are not adequately supported,” he said.
Mr Fube also proposed that September be dedicated to completing the NRC exercise before voter registration starts in October.
“The process of voter registration must go hand in hand with the registration of NRCs. If we fail in this area, we are failing democracy itself. September should be utilised to ensure that no citizen is left out,” Mr Fube said.