ECZ SHOULD EXTEND VOTER REGISTRATION SINCE THEY DIDN’T MEET TARGET – NSHINDANO
4th December 2025
FORMER ECZ chief electoral officer Patrick Nshindano says the commission should extend voter registration if there is still a window to enable more citizens to register.
On Tuesday, Acting Leader of Government Business Ambrose Lufuma said the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) would not extend the mass voter registration, stressing that citizens were told to register early but many opted to wait until the last minute.
In an interview, Wednesday, Nshindano said the commission had not attained its target, hence there would be a number of people who would be disfranchised.
“In terms of voter registration, first and foremost, I think the objective is to ensure that anybody who is eligible is able to register and vote.
Newsdiggers
Well it’s important to note conducting voters registration comes with a cost. If parties can not mobilise their members to obtain voter’s registration cards during the allocated time, then it doesn’t help. Just like elections day all prescribed services are supposed to be done within a allocated time frame. To continue with unfruitful extensions is costly and unproductive. Procrastination has a cost and government resources cannot continuously continue being spent on unbudgeted expenses. Maybe KBF should donate money to ECZ to cover the cost. Days of spending government money on unproductive ventures are long gone. In Australia if you want apply for a service let’s say a Visa, you’re required to submit all the required documents including whatever extra information within 28 days (including weekends). If you fail to provide any of the documents within 28 days they discontinue the process and the money is forfeited. All processes should be done within a given period. You can forget if you didn’t mobilise. In addition you cannot confuse the Chawama bye election with finances for registration. You cannot mix the two. As a lawyer you should know that the Chawama by election has to take place whether you like it or not. That’s the law. With your level of thinking I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re jailed for transgression of the constitution.