Give more time, resources to voter registration

By Daily Revelation Editor

Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) acting executive director Raymond Mutale says the target of registering 3 million voters by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) in the mass voter registration is highly “ambitious”.

The statement followed the ambition by ECZ which is targeting to register 3 million new voters.

In a statement over the matter, Mutale stated that  ECZ should extend the timeframe to accommodate potential logistical delays, technical challenges and regional disparities. 

“Thirdly, the current one-month timeframe to register an estimated 3.5 million voters is highly ambitious. TI-Z recommends that the ECZ reassess and extend the registration period to accommodate potential logistical delays, technical challenges, and regional disparities,” stated Mutale.

The idea by the ECZ to register an estimated 3.5 million within one month should be commended by all as the same is aiming to add as many voters as possible to participate in civic duties, and ultimately the country’s democratic process. The commission should actually be encouraged to extend the net beyond the 3.5 million so that as many voters as possible across all the regions of the country are not disenfranchised from the electoral process.

But to efficiently and effectively carry out that mandate, the commission must be afforded as much time and resources as possible to undertake this noble civic mandate. It will actually not be in the interest of the commission and wider nation if more eligible people are left out from the process. A lot of resources will be needed in terms of publicising the message to as many Zambians as possible, and also to register as many as the commission possibly can.

We are therefore, of the view that to accommodate what the TIZ already referred to; accommodation for potential logistical delays, technical challenges, and regional disparities will need to be taken on board.

The civic and democratic considerations in this case should be paramount than the political interests of the ruling or even opposition political parties. The fairness or proper functioning of any electoral process is not necessarily determined in terms of what happens on election day, but the processes that were put in place leading to that period. To reach the threshold of any election to have been declared free and fair, processes and works that were put in prior therefore take an outsized role.

We know that those who are managing elections in this country have their democratic preferences to support political parties of their choices, but national considerations and patriotism must always take precedence.