Extend registration period, ECZ told

THE Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) should extend the voter registration in order to capture the targeted number of voters, Leadership Movement (LM) has said.

And ECZ has started deploying additional staff and registration kits to all registration centres which have recorded high numbers of people wanting to register as voters.

LM media director, Tatila Tatila, said the current pace of voter registration was slow such that the ECZ would not manage to capture the nine million projected voters.

“It is our plea that the commission considers to implement our call so that all the people who need to get their voter’s cards do so and participate in the coming elections,” Mr Tatila said.

He said in an interview yesterday that it was important that the ECZ quickly deployed more officials in various centres to increase the pace of the exercise.

The media director indicated that the ECZ had enough resources to deploy more officials to undertake the process.

And ECZ acting public relations manager Sylvia Bwalya stated that the commission had taken note of the concerns from the public and other stakeholders and taken measures to expedite the exercise.

"The Commission would like to assure all stakeholders and the general public that it has taken into account the concerns raised on the ongoing voter registration exercise which was launched on Monday 9th November 2020," she said.

Ms Bwalya said the ECZ would publish designated registration centres specifically for those who pre-registered online in order to ensure that those who pre-registered online spend less time in centres.

She, however, said all registration centres would still cater for those who pre-registered online and those who would be commencing their registration at the physical registration centres.

Ms Bwalya said officers had been directed to maintain two lines for the two categories of applicants.

She said all registration centres would ensure that persons with disabilities, expectant mothers and the elderly were assisted and taken in front of the queues.

And Paramonut Chitimukulu has expressed disappointment with the slow pace at which ECZ was carrying out the voter registration exercise.

Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on PF national mobilization committee treasurer, Bizwell Mutale in Lusaka yesterday, Chitimukulu said the ECZ had four years from the 2016 elections to prepare.

He wondered why the electoral body was having problems to carrying out the exercise when it had ample time to prepare.