WE ARE HAPPY WITH THE PEACE THAT PREVAILED IN CHAWAMA, BUT VOTER TURN OUT WAS LOW – AVAP
THE Anti-Voter Apathy Project Executive Director, Richwell Mulwani, has expressed concern over the low voter turnout recorded in the Chawama Parliamentary by-election.
Mr. Mulwani said the poor turnout highlights the urgent need to intensify mass voter education and deliberately address issues contributing to voter apathy as the country heads toward the general elections.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka today, Mr. Mulwani described the turnout as “not impressive,” noting that there is a need for stakeholders to reflect on how best citizens can be encouraged to actively participate in the electoral process.
“It was also observed with concern that young people did not turn out to vote in the numbers expected, despite being a key demographic in shaping the country’s democratic future,” said Mr. Mulwani.
About 18,000 voters casting their ballots out of more than 92,000 registered voters, a trend consistent with recent by-elections across the country.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mulwani has commended all political parties that participated in the Chawama by-election, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for conducting what he described as a credible electoral process, and other stakeholders who played a role in ensuring the smooth conduct of the polls.
RCV