CiSCA Concerned By Lopsided Voter Registration

The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) is among those to have expressed concern regarding the current voter registration exercise.

CiSCA Acting Chair Judith Mulenga has issued a statement reminding the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) that universal suffrage and the right to vote is a human right that is protected in the Constitution. 

“Article 46 of our Constitution assures every Zambian citizen who has attained the age of 18 years the right to register as a voter. Our Bill of Rights within the purview of articles 20 and 21, warrants freedoms of association and expressions and voting for a preferred political party or candidate,” Mulenga has stated. 

“Additionally, Zambia is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), having ratified it in 1984. Article 25 of the covenant provides for every citizen the right and the opportunity, without unreasonable restrictions, or distinction of any kind such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or another opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status of any differentiation to vote,” she continues. 

Mulenga has aired concerns that the current registration process appears lopsided and skewed to advantage certain regions in the country. According to Mulenga this “not only flies in the face of both the human rights standards and our constitutional guarantees but is a subversion of the ECZ’s mandate. It is a very clear hallmark of inefficiency and ineffectiveness.”  

The CiSCA Acting Chair calls for a serious commitment to openness, communication and accountability by the ECZ in order to support the credibility of next year’s elections and the legitimacy of the winner. 

Specifically Mulenga says CiSCA is recommending the investigation of allegations that there has been a deliberate effort to register more voters in PF strongholds by allocating more personnel for the exercise in these areas.  

She also suggested that as the ECZ set a target of registering 9 million voters they should continue to register people until that target is met and that the commission should also provide disaggregated figures for registrations in each province so they can be scrutinised. 

“Time is running out, but it is not too late for the ECZ to correct this situation, if they really want to,” Mulenga concludes.