via ZEC confirms diaspora vote in 2018 8 January 2015
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has confirmed its plans to enable Zimbabweans in the diaspora to vote in the next general elections in 2018.
The commission’s 2014 needs assessment report, entitled “Identification of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Gaps: The Road to 2018”, was released in December. It says ZEC needs close to $281 million to prepare for and run the next election. But the report adds that this figure is provisional – because of the possibility of inflation and other factors, among them the diaspora vote.
“It is foreseen that the 2018 Election Budget will stem from government with additional support from donors. However, with inflation, changes in the electoral landscape, increases required in staffing allowances, diaspora voting and other such developments, it is unlikely that the budget will remain at the 2013 levels,” says the report.
Zimbabweans living abroad have repeatedly been denied the right to vote by the government of President Robert Mugabe, who critics say is afraid that most of those in the diaspora would support the opposition.
Between three and four million Zimbabweans have fled the country as economic and political refugees, particularly since 2000 when the government cracked down on critics and dissenters and when the economy went into free fall after the land invasions.
According to the ZEC report, the 2013 elections cost $38 per voter. More than two million Zimbabweans cast their ballots.
Currently ZEC has signed two co-operation agreements with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Southern Africa (EISA) for technical assistance regarding voter registration, voter education, establishment of a knowledge centre and stakeholder engagement.
ZEC came up with its first strategic plan in 2009 that culminated in the 2013 constitutional referendum and the general elections, which observer missions described as containing serious flaws.
The 2013 constitution adopted after the referendum expanded ZEC’s powers to include voter registration, which has previously been managed by the Registrar General’s office.
COMMENTS
Another plot by Zanu to win electionz
When is dual citizenship going to be tackled first you ZanuPF thugs.
The registrar general, Tobaiwa Mudede, has been one of the most influential people in denying Zimbabweans their right to democratically elect their leaders. Even to this day, and despite the constitutional provisions, Mudede refuses to hand over all the materials relating to the voters roll to ZEC.
Unfortunately ZEC themselves do not seem to really believe in democracy and rubber stamped the 2013 elections despite the fact the no electronic voters roll was ever provided. ZEC therefore appear to have accepted that their primary brief is to ensure that Mugabe (dead or alive !!) and Zanu PF win all elections.
Zimbabweans should therefore not be surprised to find that in the run-up to the next election (2018), the voters roll will still be in the hands of Mudede, and there will be no voters roll for people in the diaspora, thus again denying them the vote despite the constitutional provisions.
Of course there may be no elections at all, if the recent Zanu PF congress is anything to go by. Mr Mugabe may just declare the results without a vote and proceed by appointing the government of his own personal choice, as he did at the congress.
Opposition politicians and judicial activists might consider it time well spent to take the Registrar General to court in order to effect the provisions of the new constitution. However they should be prepared for a very long and winding road with all sorts of side-tracking and delaying tactics by Zanu PF and their tame sell-outs in the judiciary and ZEC.
@OWEN Mudeda like all the other Zanu Drones will never make a decision without Mugabe telling him.Mugabe has been running a one man show. At the moment age has caught up with him hence the conflicting signals as one or two try to make their own decisions EG the farm issue. If you remember the lake Vice Msika condemned the land invasions when they stated because Mugabe was out of the country. When he came back and backed them, embarrassing Msika which caused him to do a 180 degree uturn. As much as I hate to say this the only man that has ever made a decision on his own is Moyo. That is why they are so fearful of him. I would hasten to say on this occasion I would not blame you for SHOOTING THE MESSENGER.
The acceptance of the diaspora vote by the Registrar – General and ZEC implies complex “nikuvisation” of the VOTE.
With this diaspora vote I am surprised to find more vote rigging especially from ZANU PF friendly east countries like China and so forth.
With or without diaspora voting all we need is the Electronic and internationally supervised voting in Zimbabwe .