THE RULING party has described the snail-paced ongoing voter registration exercise as a sham.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) yesterday kicked off the registration of voters for the 2021 general election and is targeting to have 9 million eligible voters.
However, people going to the registration centers have complained of having to wait for a long time before getting their cards.
It is taking about 40 minutes for one person to be registered.
In a statement issued by PF Lusaka province media coordinator Edwin Lifwekelo, the ruling party PF Lusaka Province chairman Paul Moonga said the current Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) voter registration exercises was extremely slow and cumbersome.
Moonga said PF Lusaka provincial leadership was disappointed with the complacency and laissez-faire attitude being exhibited by ECZ towards the exercise.
“The spirit in which the exercise is being conducted and lack of preparedness by electoral commission of Zambia will subsequently disfranchise and discourage would voters that are eligible to vote in the 2021 presidential and parliamentary elections,” Moonga said.
“It is clear that ECZ lack the machinery and capacity to conduct this voter exercises going by a number of designated institutions around Lusaka that are still waiting to start registration of voters but have not done so by midday and missed out yesterday like Chilenge south secondary school where many would be voters have gone back home because ECZ are not on sight, this is disappointing and an acceptable and if the exercise has started it’s extremely slow in most centers of Lusaka.”
He appealed to government to intervene and provide the necessary logistical support to address these short coming that have been identified.
Moonga noted that the current undertaking by ECZ was not likely to meet the set target of 9million voters.
“The current situation is abnormal and going at the rate we going and looking at the 11000 polling streams against ECZ estimated 2000 machines on sight, against 9 million target, ECZ will fail to meet the target, this is a circus and catastrophe waiting to happen. We appeal to ECZ to up their game and show the seriousness to this Noble and serious electoral process,” said Moonga.
“Let them admit failure before it’s too late so that they can be assisted by government rather than pretend all is well. Things are not well and Zambians are getting anxious and fatigued over this exercises which they want to put behind them as soon as possible. There is a lot of information Zambians require answers which ECZ must provide. Most centers in Lusaka are experiencing teething problems and let ECZ address these short comings.”
©Kalemba November 10, 2020
