The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will not extend the national mass voter registration exercise set to come to a close on March 15.
The Commission has indicated that those who shall have missed out on the exercise will have to go for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) through the constituency offices countrywide.
In a statement to the media houses by CEO Ezra Chiloba on March 11, the Commission appealed to eligible voters to come out and register during this last week of the ward-based registration campaign.
Political leaders and other entities have been calling on the commission to extend the exercise so as to allow for those who had not received their ID cards to get them and register.
“Phase one of the Mass Voter Registration drive ends on March 15, 2016 and will not be extended. Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will however, go on at all IEBC constituency offices countrywide thereafter. The Commission appeals to all eligible voters to come out and register during this last week of the ward-based registration campaign,” read the statement in part.
Only 800,000 new voters have been registered since the start of the exercise on February 15, with the Commission now targeting one million mark against the previous target of four million.
Even with the low turnout, the Commission has insisted that the time given for the exercise was sufficient and nobody should ask for any extension.
IEBC however, applauded the local administration and the security forces for maintaining order and peace during the ongoing exercise.
It continued: “We would like to thank the security agencies and local administration for working with our field staff towards ensuring there is peace at the registration centres. We urge them to step up these efforts and protect the staff and residents turning up for the voter registration exercise.”