There’ll be no voter apathy this year-AVAP
Written by Mafken FM Newsroom on 10 August 2021
The Anti-Voter Apathy Project (AVAP) says it is confident that there will be no voter apathy in the August 12, 2021 elections following its many voter sensitisation initiatives in most parts of the country.
AVAP Executive Director Richwell Mulwani said in an interviews that the organisation has, with support from the UNDP, been carrying out a number of voter education programmes since May 2021.
Mr. Mulwani said this was done through various platforms and with a sole purpose of countering voter apathy.
He said AVAP has since seen a positive response from the electorate.
Mr. Mulwani said according to AVAP reports on the ground, voters are eager to cast their votes as opposed to false reports that they were likely to shun the elections due to fear of contracting Covid-19 and the violence witnessed in some parts of the country.
He said in addition to the already ongoing initiatives such as radio programmes, youth conferences, posters, and social media interactions, AVAP has introduced new innovations such as the mobile video unit show and quick vote platform.
He disclosed that the two initiatives are meant to provide sensitisation to the electorate on the importance of voting through drama performances, which depict the entire voting process to ensure that voters do not get confused when casting their votes.
“Today as I am speaking, we are flagging off the mobile video unit show starting in Monze and ending in Livingstone until voting day. We want to sensitise the voters to go out in numbers to vote and also provide them with all the necessary information that they should know to ensure that people are not lost in the electoral process,’’ he said.
Mr. Mulwani explained that owing to the huge number of rejected ballots totaling 85,000 in the 2016 general elections, AVAP has this year embarked on the quick vote platform initiative aimed at sensitising rural voters especially on the correct use of the ballot paper.
He reiterated that AVAP has a strong desire to succeed in its voter education agenda.
He said the project has since purchased bicycles and megaphones to help in the exercise as well as strategically engaging differently abled voter educators to engage the disabled people to ensure that no one is left behind.
Mr. Mulwani further said it is evident that the initiatives have borne good results as there has been feedback from voters who had lost their voters cards but were found and collected.
He has since appealed to the electorate to turn up in large numbers on Thursday, August 12, 2021and exercise their constitutional right to vote.
