Tag: Voter registration

    Four days voter registration extension

    Four days voter registration extension Featured

    December 17, 2020 by Socialist Party Zambia in

    It doesn’t make sense for the Electoral Commission of Zambia to extend the voter registration period by just four days. We seem to be terrible judges of how long things take.

    Psychologists call this the planning fallacy — a pervasive tendency to underestimate how long it will take to do just about anything — and it can be attributed to several different biases.

    First, we routinely fail to consider our own past experiences while planning.

    After a month of voter registration experience, we still can’t seem to figure out how long it will take us to reasonably complete this exercise.

    Second, we seem to consistently ignore the very real possibility that things won’t go as planned — our plans tend to be “best-case scenarios”. And as a consequence, we budget only enough time to complete the project if everything goes smoothly. Which it never really does.

    Lastly, we don’t think about all the steps or sub components that make up the voter registration process, and consider how long each part of the process will take. When you think about painting a room, you may picture yourself using a roller to quickly slap the paint on the walls, and think that it won’t take much time at all — neglecting to consider how you’ll first have to move or cover the furniture, tape all the fixtures and window frames, do all the edging by hand, and so on.

    Extending the voter registration period for four days without addressing the poor time planning that landed us in hot water in the first place, we will likely end up in hot water again down the road.

    And here is a summary of the things we have learned from the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s press briefing today:1. The voter registration exercise has been extended by four days, running from Thursday 17 December, 2020 – Sunday 20 December 2020.

    2. The total number of registered voters is 6,407,752. The Commission did not give a province-by-province breakdown.

    3. Important dates: There are a number of important dates the Commission highlighted:

    2nd – 6th April 2021:

    Verification of registration details. If any of the details on your card or on the new register are incorrect, this will be the period to correct them.

    9th May 2021:

    Voter registration certification, and cut off date for those who will be turning 18 to be eligible to vote.

    Presidential nominations: 14-18 June, 2021.Nominations of MP’s, Mayors, council chairpersons will be on 14 June, 2021. Ward councilor nominations will be one day after, on 15 June 2021. Petitions for nominations will run for 21 days (21 Jun -11 Jul, 2021).

    Ballot printing will be the whole of July, from 1-31 July, 2021, for ALL ballots, from councilors all the way up to the President. The verification of ballot papers will happen between 29 Jul – 4 Aug, 2021.

    Of course, the general election, the biggest day of them all, will be on August 12, 2021.

    If you have not yet registered to vote, those extra 4 days are your lifeline.

    Please, please, please I urge you to visit your nearest registration centre and get it done. Never forget that your vote is your voice!

    Fred M’membe

    Garden Compound

    Extension of voter registration period

    Extension of voter registration period Featured

    December 10, 2020 by Socialist Party Zambia in

    The voter registration exercise has not been conducted in an efficient, effective and orderly manner.

    In many places, there have been very long queues. In some places, Electoral Commission of Zambia officers have not been there throughout the period of registration. There are also many cases of equipment failure.

    If there’s no extension of voter registration days as many as 4 million people may not be registered to vote – around 40 per cent of 9 million the people the Electoral Commission of Zambia was targeting to register as voters.

    The most important political right or privilege is the vote. No one should be unnecessarily denied the right to register as voter.

    We therefore urge the Electoral Commission of Zambia to extend the voter registration period to give a fair chance to all qualifying citizens to register as voters.

    Fred M’membe

    Garden Compound, Lusaka

    A clarion call to register as a voter

    A clarion call to register as a voter

    October 26, 2020 by Socialist Party Zambia in

    Voter registration is starting this week. I remind you that voting is not only your right, but rather your duty. If you don’t register to vote and withhold your vote, Zambians run a risk of getting into public offices people who have no national interest at heart and who are going to jeopardize the future of your children. Not registering as a voter and not voting is incompatible with one’s duty as a citizen and as a Christian.Exercise your right therefore and take up your Christian duty. Go, register so that on August 12, 2021 you can vote for the right persons.

    The neglect of the duty of participating in the choice of leaders at all levels brings catastrophic results to the nation. It’s a great mistake to shun this responsibility.
    All who have reached the voting age should register and participate in electing leaders who have the necessary qualities.

    It should be understood that the neglect of participating in the voting and in the election of good leaders allows unworthy candidates to take leadership positions and brings disharmony in our country.

    Neglecting to register as voter is to lose a person’s right and the nation’s right.
    Registering as a voter and voting is a serious duty. Whether Zambia will next year have good or bad laws, an upright or inefficient administration depends on you registering to vote and actually voting.

    A person who is able to register as a voter and vote but never does so is guilty of serious omission. Citizens who do not care for their duty of voting are an easy prey to tyranny.

    Fred M’membe
    Mwika Royal Village, Chinsali