Chaponda calls on CSOs to advocate for alternative voter registration methods

George Chaponda, leader of opposition parties in Parliament, has urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to continue advocating for the amendment of voter registration identification laws, moving beyond reliance on national IDs to include alternative methods.

Chaponda’s advice follows a failed motion he proposed, which aimed to influence this amendment through members of Parliament during their last sitting.

He noted that the business committee of the House removed his motion while he was absent from one of the pre-deliberation meetings.

He stated that, given this development, only CSOs like the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), which have been actively pushing for the change, have the capacity to influence the amendment.

“CSOs are crucial in times like these since MPs are not meeting anytime soon. We recognize their impact and believe that this time, we will see the introduction of other identification methods apart from national IDs,” he said.

There have been concerns that many people in the southern and northern regions have been unable to register for national IDs; thus, alternatives for voter registration are necessary ahead of the 2025 general elections.