Registry needs funds to conduct awareness

THE Registry of Political Parties and Candidates needs funding to conduct an awareness drive for political parties, says Registrar Dr Alphonse Gelu.
He said the registry might have to resort to using social media to get the message across to the people. It will seek overseas funding to buy a computer server as the old one has crashed.
Gelu also urged political parties to, as much as possible, use the National Broadcasting Commission to broadcast their policies.
He said the registry lacked funding to carry out television, radio and newspaper advertising. It is looking at the possibility of using YouTube to air its TV commercials and Facebook to carry out awareness.
“The problem with our marketing is that it will be greatly affected by the lack of funding,” Dr Gelu told The National.
“The country is going through some tough times and the funding coming to us is not as much as we expected.”
He cited quotes from EMTV for advertising which he could not pay.
“Right now, we can’t afford this,” Dr Gelu said.
“The monthly funding we receive now is just not enough. It does not allow us to do any of these things.”
He also said the registry’s main computer server worth K200,000 had been down since last November. There are no internet and email services and database.
“I’ve made requests to the Government to help us but we have not received any response,” Gelu said.
He said one foreign mission was willing to buy a new server.