via Impossible to have clean voters roll by 2018 – Zesn – NewsDay Zimbabwe 15 September 2014 by Blessed Mhlanga
THE Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has ruled out any chances of having a clean and universally acceptable voters’ roll by 2018 given what it termed “fatal omissions” in the Electoral Amendment Act.
Zesn director Rindai Vava-Chipfunde told members of the Parliamentary Woman Caucus at an elections workshop in Kadoma over the weekend that the Act should have given the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission explicit rights to compile and manage the voters’ roll and take over that responsibility from the Register-General’s Office.
“Without a clear mandate to ZEC in the amendment, there is nothing much they can do to improve the voters roll from what it is now . . . Don’t expect a fair election without a clean voters’ roll because only a complete, accurate and current voters’ roll can bring about an acceptable election,” she said.
Speaking at the same event, ZEC commissioner Petty Makoni while admitting that it was difficult to have a perfect voters roll she said it was possible for the commission to have produced a clean polling station-based voters roll in the next elections.
“We are mandated by the constitution to prepare a voters roll and how we choose to do it becomes our business. But I can say we have been engaging with political parties and civil society and funding partners to ensure that come the next election we have an acceptable roll,” Makoni said.
She said the commission had also started working on production of a polling station-based voters roll as mandated by the constitution, adding that the document could be ready for use by 2018.
The voters roll was the major issue in the 2013 elections with MDC-T accusing the ruling party Zanu PF of using Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede and Israeli company NIKUV to tamper with the document to manipulate the election results.
Parliamentarians admitted that the Electoral Amendment Act was fraught with errors which will likely affect the outcome of 2018 elections. The legislators said they passed the Bill because they had been whipped to adopt it.
“The whipping system is bad for democracy and our parliament, we vote for bills and other issues in parliament along political lines and even if you don’t believe in the position you vote for it because if you don’t you will face censor from your party,” said Senator Rorana Muchiwa (MDC-T).
Another MDC-T legislator Evelyn Masaiti said most parliamentarians just passed Bills in Parliament out of ignorance.
“There is need for us to seek outside resources so that we can understand some of the bills we pass in parliament, because this bill was passed by people who really did not understand it,” Masaitisaid.
COMMENTS
I ask myself, how was it that in 1979 they managed to hold Zimbabwe’s only free and fair election in spite of the so called bush war raging on? The warring factions of Zanu and Zapu were invited to participate provided they laid down their arms but refused. Notwithstanding that fact,64% of the population voted. In 1980 another election was held and the administration of that election was of the highest standard. As we all know, the population was terrorised by the same warring parties mentioned above, abandoning the 10 so called assembly points and intimidating the population to vote for their parties. Mashonaland having the highest indigenous naturally won. The rest is history.
At both elections, voting took place on a proportional representation basis. Voters had their fingers scanned by ultra violet light prior to placing their fingers onto an indelible ink pad. This system precluded people voting twice. Simple!
There was, therefore, no need for a voters roll. It seems to me that the ruling party want to continue the current system of a voters roll simply because it is the easiest way to rig the election. The tragedy continues.
Its a kind of reverse confirmation of Ian Smith’s belief that only propertied citizens should have a right to vote. In Zanu PF’s case only members of its party should be allowed to vote hence the skewed voters toll. TThis state of the of the roll is likely to serve the ruling party for a long time to come.
zanu are aware they have to rig to win, they are working on rigging already for 2018 but it wont work because it will be a fair election or no election.
What makes you think this election will be any different to all the previous rigged elections? I am afraid Zimbabweans are to use to going to the alter like lambs to the slaughter!
With someone of the calibre of Tobaiwa Mudede the Registrar-General of Zimbabwe licking his fingers every time he turns a page there can never be an accurate voters roll. He looks confused half the time.
Supermondo, I agree with you. This time fair election or no election. The present gvt will dissolve when its time is up, but we will only vote when it’s clear that the election is fair. We are sick n tired. Fellow Zimmbos lets stand up and talk
Please fair election ,never in a million years , their heads are so far in the feeding troughs and have been for so many years that no ways will they allow a free and fair election,not in your life time or mine ,only problem is it is going to get more difficult to rig as the country is crashing lower every passing year!
Forget the Voters Roll –
just do as they do in India.
Issue an Identification card,
with a bar code and photo.
The ID card also had a ‘punch’
area for each Election – 2018,
2022 etc, to further avoid fraud!
Install swipe terminals and a
touch screen button for each
candidate.
India uses this system and it
works perfectly.
The cost is cheaper than the
Voters Rolls compilation!
AS LONG AS THE SCOUNDRELS ARE IN CHARGE, THAT IS CORRECT!
Obvious . What surprises me still is that the armchair academic brigade of naive gullible Vincen musewe and MDC are still dreaming of nikuv erections ?? !!!!!!!! Pamberi mob justice and y.o.z.a. ( youth of Zimbabwe arises ) !!!!!!!!!!!!! The only realistic option for gods sake. Wake up. You slept for 35 years
a/r is right nothing will happen until the people of Zimbabwe make it happen by choosing and seizing true democracy….the excuses are already being trotted out….”could be ready in time for 2018″ but don’t expect to see an electronic version before the date! How are they going to do that anyway if the computer system is broken!!!!!?
What a laugh what’s the next joke grace wins 2018 election? Mugabe will be long dead and still be on the voters roll. Zimbabwe filled with fools the laughing stock of the world. Barrel of jokes a day with clowns making daily statements on how well they run the country. Hysterical.
What happened to those reports on the 2002 and 2008 elections from those SA generals? May the Lord cause them to be exposed.