AVAP DECRIES CARELESS POLITICAL STATEMENTS

CARELESS statements on the online voter pre-registration exercise are dangerous and are just working to bring tension in the country, Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) has warned.

AVAP Copperbelt Coordinator, Poster Jumbe, said the opposition parties and other stakeholders must desist from making careless and misleading statements regarding the online voter pre-registration exercise, but must instead disseminate truthful information about the exercise.

In an interview in Kitwe at the weekend, Mr Jumbe said he was disappointed that some senior officials in the UPND were deliberately twisting facts about the online voter re-registration initiative.

He said that the UPND and its allies had been issuing statements that the online voter pre-registration exercise was an attempt to rig the 2021 elections.

“In an attempt to seek sympathy and win hearts of the people, politicians should not become careless and make misleading statements that may set this country ablaze. Some of us we have been to countries which experienced civil wars and we know what it means. In some cases, civil wars are started by careless and misleading statements.

"It is disappointing that some senior officials of the opposition have chosen to make careless and misleading statements. These are blatant lies and should not be taken seriously," Mr Jumbe said.

Mr Jumbe encouraged all eligible voters to undertake the online pre-registration exercise to make it easy when registering physically later at the Electoral Commission of Zambia established centres.

"The online voters’ pre-registration is not mandatory, but would lessen the time spent by the eligible voters as it can be done at one's convenient time. Citizens are required to go for the registration centres come October 28, 2020 up to November 30 when the mobile will be going on.

"For those who will do on line voter registration and those who will not do, both should visit the registration centres and submit the biometric details which include finger prints, photos and get the cards," he said.

Mr Jumbe encouraged people who were mobile like truck drivers, bus drivers, cross border traders to do the online voters’ pre-preregistration at their own convenient time and later get to the centres. voter registration