Zec must not be arm-twisted by Zanu PF over voters’ roll

REPORTS that the ruling Zanu PF has put in place a plot to influence the structure of the 2018 national voters’ roll and eventually rig the polls, do not engender confidence in the country’s electoral system.

Source: Zec must not be arm-twisted by Zanu PF over voters’ roll – NewsDay Zimbabwe September 21, 2016

NewsDay Editor

This gives credence to the call by opposition political parties for electoral reforms given the handling of the voters’ roll in Zimbabwe has always been a contentious matter.

We believe the tinkering with the voters’ roll by any political party will result in disputed elections even before the holding of the 2018 polls.

Whatever changes to the voters’ roll must not involve any political party — President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF, the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC-T party or any opposition establishment. But if there is involvement of any political party, then all parties should be involved because they are all stakeholders in the electoral system.

It is quite unfortunate that Zanu PF appears unrepentant over its conduct during elections in which the voters’ roll is often used as an instrument of rigging. What is more disturbing is that the voters’ roll is believed to contain the names of deceased people who always “vote” for Zanu PF.

Clearly, it is amoral for a political organisation to play such a crucial role in the handling of a voters’ roll to be used in elections, where the party is also a contestant. We believe it is such conduct that continues to have the Zanu PF government portrayed in negative light, for which it cannot cry foul.

Zimbabweans hope that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission will not be arm-twisted into buying the Zanu PF scheme, because, if that happens, then the citizenry might as well forget about free and fair elections from Mugabe’s discredited regime, whose claim to fame now is driving a once promising nation aground.

It is no wonder that Mugabe and Zanu PF continue to scoff at opposition parties’ calls for electoral reforms to level the playing ground and ensure fairness.

Is it not true that Mugabe or his Zanu PF party are aware that any democratic reforms will expose them and give the population an opportunity to boot them out of power through a free vote?

This is confirmed by recent remarks by Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo to the effect that Zanu PF would not reform itself out of power.

The tinkering with the voters’ roll is the very reason why Zimbabwe urgently needs electoral reforms.