A government official in Chiradzulu has warned of continued low voter turnout if sensitisation is not intensified on the difference between a national identity card and a voter certificate.
The official, Blessings Kayira, sounded the warning following reports that there has been low turnout of people in the first phase of voter’s registration exercise which ended on Monday.
Kayira who is the Principal Community Development Officer in the Ministry of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development in Chiradzulu said it is sad that people still confuse a national ID with a voter ID.
He observed that this is the major reason why many people shunned registration in Salima, Kasungu and Dedza.
The ministry is the major stakeholder in disseminating electoral information including voter registration exercise in the run up to 2019 polls.
“As an office that works with local people, we have observed that many of them do not differentiate the two documents such that they think they will use national IDs for voting,” he said.
On this note, he urged all stakeholders that have been accredited in a sensitization drive, to up their game across the country to avoid a repeat of the first phase.
Kayira further asked his Ministry to disburse on time resources meant for the sensitization exercise so that people should be well informed before registration starts in their respective districts.
He said that delays in funding will affect mobilisation of people to get registered. Mec projects to register at least 9 million voters countrywide.
Meanwhile, the electoral body, NICE and CCJP have attributed the low turnout to loss of confidence in political leaders.
Vuto asogoleri akumalawi umbava mukutichitisa manyazi kuno koyenda