Source: Zec must extend BVR for ‘aliens’ – DailyNews Live
Tendai Kamhungira 12 December 2017
HARARE – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) must extend voter
registration for so-called aliens, independent election watchdog Zimbabwe
Elections Support Network (Zesn) has said.
This comes after the High Court two weeks ago ordered the Zec to register
“aliens” as prospective voters for the 2018 general elections during the
on-going biometric voter registration (BVR) exercise.
High Court judge Justice Nyaradzo Munangati-Manongwa’s judgment allowed
aliens to vote provided that they provide their national identity
documents endorsed alien, their birth certificate and proof of residence.
The ruling finalised a legal challenge filed by a Harare resident
57-year-old Sarah Kachingwe, who resides in Epworth and two factions of
the MDC opposition political parties, which sought an order allowing some
individuals classified as “aliens” to register to vote in the 2018 general
elections without any impediment or additional requirement other than
requirements relating to all people.
Zesn said the electoral body must extend the registration period for
aliens who were disenfranchised during the first three phases of the BVR.
“Zec should extend the BVR process to accommodate ‘aliens’ who are now
eligible to register and deliberately target places such as farms and
mines where these people normally reside,” Zesn said, without stating how
long the extension must be.
According to official statistics from Zec, by November 28, over 3million
prospective voters had been registered under phase 3 which ended on
December 1.
The fourth and final phase of the registration process started on December
4 and will end on December 19.
Zesn said those classified as aliens were still facing problems. In the
wake of the ruling, Zesn observed that “aliens” were still being turned
away without registering because registration officers were waiting for
the relevant instructions from Zec.”
“Zesn therefore urges the Zec to promptly provide the necessary clarity
about the new status of the so-called aliens. Such clarity needs to be
mainstreamed into future registration efforts,” Zesn said.
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