Labour blames roll, census update

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday July 11th, 2012

By JAYNE SAFIHAO
THE conducting of the common roll update and national census recording simultaneously last year is the cause of confusion among voters in this year’s general election, a political party says.
People’s Labour Party general secretary, Charles Locke said over the weekend that people still did not know the difference between the roles of the two exercises.
The National Statistical Office is responsible for the recording of all births across the nation in order for the government to adequately plan and make budgetary allocations for a given area. That exercise is done every 10 years.
“The Electoral Commission is responsible for updating the common roll for those of eligible voting age, 18 and above, to voluntarily give their names in order to vote during elections held every five years.
Locke said the confusion stemmed when the two departments conducted enrolment exercises at the same time last year.
“The NSO’s exercise was supposed to be held in 2010 but it was deferred to 2011. Their exercise clashed with the common roll update being held around the country,” he said.
He said many people in rural areas were still ignorant and did not know the differences between the two.
“When an old man in the village gives his name in the census, he automatically thinks he is already recorded on the common roll update but that is not the case.
“One records all persons while the other will only record those 18 years and above eligible for voting,” he said.
He said the onus was on the new government to start
funding local level governments where councillors, ward committees and village recorders would register all names.
Locke said greater effort must be put into conducting awareness nationwide by the new government so that no further discrepancies was repeated in 2017.
The people had been confused by the electoral roll update and the national census counting.