FDD challenges civil society over mobile NRC registration

FDD challenges civil society over mobile NRC registration
Written by Patson Chilemba
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 5:19:38 PM

LUDWIG Sondashi yesterday said Zambians will not allow President Rupiah Banda's government to only conduct a thorough mobile registration of National Registration Cards (NRCs) in perceived MMD strongholds.

And FDD vice-president Chifumu Banda said it was incumbent upon the civil society, political parties and the general citizenry to constantly remind the government to ensure that the mobile exercise is conducted thoroughly and successfully in all the nine provinces of the country.

Commenting on the disclosure by home affairs minister Dr Kalombo Mwansa that the government would next month commence the mobile registration of NRCs in North Western, Western and Eastern provinces at a total cost of K5 billion, Sondashi, who is former works and supply minister, said NRCs should be issued to all the parts of the country.

"What I can say is that even if having that motive [to only do a thorough registration in perceived MMD strongholds], that motive will not work. No one will allow them not to allow other provinces to have the programme of National Registration Cards issued," he said.

However, Sondashi said he believed that President Banda did not have any stronghold.

He said he would win in all the strongholds of President Banda in 2011.

He said he was working on forming a political party.

"There is no stronghold for Rupiah Banda. I am going to sweep North Western Province myself. So, people must not think that North Western is MMD," said Sondashi. "I am inviting well-meaning people from all the nine provinces of Zambia to work with and move with me."

And Chifumu Banda said money for the mobile exercise of NRC issuance in all the nine provinces had been passed by Parliament and that the programme should be spread to all the parts of the country.

He said citizens had a responsibility to advise the government to do what was right.

"My comment is that the continuous issuance of NRCs is a national programme and as such is beyond politics. I believe that government will inevitably cover all provinces," said Banda. "NGOs, political parties and the general citizenry must constantly remind government that once they are finished where they started, they should spread to other parts because I believe this is a national programme. The problem is that we are negative in our thinking. This negative thinking is retrogressive."

On Sunday, Dr Mwansa said he had received a letter from Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata where he complained that the government had started the exercise in President Banda's strongholds but appealed for people to be patient.

Dr Mwansa said the exercise would commence on June 1, 2009.

Earlier, Sata had written to Dr Mwansa over the mobile registration exercise.

He stated that the NRC issuance exercise should be undertaken fairly.

"Our past experience has shown that after undertaking the NRC exercise in a manner which promotes the MMD interest your ministry in conjunction with the office of the Registrar General have come up with various excuses for not completing the exercise in the other provinces or have just slackened completely," stated Sata.

"It is, therefore, our demand as PF that the NRC exercise be undertaken and completed in the fairest, non-partisan and most transparent way in order to accord every citizen their right to vote in 2011."