HARARE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Zimbabwe government has extended the mobile voter registration exercise by another month to cater for citizens that failed to register in the two-month exercise which ended on Dec. 20 last year.

The state-run Herald newspaper quoted the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission acting chairperson Emmanuel Magade as saying that government had released extra funds for extension of the registration exercise.

"Government has availed a substantial amount of money for the extension, which will last for a month beginning on the 10th of January and ending on February 8," Magade said.

The country registered 4.7 million people during the two-month period, much lower than the initial target of 7.2 million people.

Zimbabwe is using the biometric voter registration system for the first time and all eligible voters must register afresh for them to vote in elections due mid this year.

New President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been confirmed by the ruling ZANU-PF party as its presidential candidate for the polls, following the resignation of former president Robert Mugabe last November.