MANILA, Philippines -- A youth group that has noticed the Commission on Elections? lack of enthusiasm for the extended voters? registration urged the poll body to step up its campaign to persuade young people to take advantage of the extra list-up days made possible by a Supreme Court ruling.

The Kabataan party list group noted that the Comelec seemed to be languid about drumming up interest for the registration.

It urged poll officials to disseminate the information about the extended registration days.

?The lack of information and the Commission on Elections? apparent lack of enthusiasm and support for the extended voters? registration were also to blame for the modest turnout of prospective registrants in the first days of poll registration,? Kabataan Party-list Vice President Carl Marc Ramota said in a statement.

He said not many were aware that the registration deadline had been moved to January.

The Supreme Court extended the deadline for voter registration from October 31 to January 9, saying that under the law, voters could register during office hours until 120 days before the election.

Poll officials had argued that the earlier deadline was necessary to give the Comelec enough time to prepare for next year's first automated elections. They also said that the extended registration could hamper their efforts to lay down the groundwork for the 2010 polls.

Ramota said statements coming from Comelec could have discouraged would-be voters from participating in the polls. One such statement is an election official?s claim that some of the new registrants may not be able to vote anyway.

?Comelec?s irresponsible remarks toward the extended poll registration are sowing confusion and even fear among prospective first-time voters,? he said.

?It?s quite saddening to see how Comelec regards and handles the extended voters? registration considering that protecting the right to suffrage is its primary mandate as a poll body,? he added.