via Zec accused of reversing electoral reform gains – NewsDay Zimbabwe June 3, 2015
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has been accused of trying to reverse electoral reforms made ahead of the 2013 harmonised elections by centralising accreditation of election observers in the upcoming by-elections.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
The Election Resource Centre (ERC) said of the 16 by-elections, 10 of them were happening outside the capital and it would be very expensive to foot the travel bill of observers especially from constituencies far from Harare.
“It has come to the attention of the ERC that Zec will only accredit observers of the 16 by-elections slated for June 10, 2015 at a central location in Harare,” said ERC in a statement yesterday.
Constituencies outside Harare are Dangamvura-Chikanga, Headlands, Hurungwe West, Lobengula, Luveve, Makokoba, Mbizo, Pelandaba-Mpopoma, Pumula and Tsholotsho North.
“An analysis of the 10 out of Harare constituencies reveals that there is an average of 37 polling stations per constituency with Tsholotsho North recording the highest number with 70 polling stations,” said the elections watchdog.
“Converted to figures, this means for any organisation intending to field at least one observer per polling station in Tsholotsho North will fork out $2 800 at an average of $40 per person.
“This does not include the cost of accreditation, accommodation and meals.”
The elections watchdog said it was deeply concerned by such a move which was likely to breach provisions for the decentralisation of accreditation of observers introduced before the 2013 harmonised elections.
ERC argued that centralisation of voter accreditation would compromise fairness.
The organisation claimed fewer eyes were going to observe the by-elections.
“The ERC urges Zec and Treasury to immediately release funds to urgently decentralise accreditation of election observers so that the facility is accessible to local communities affected by by-elections to observe their own elections,” said ERC, warning that electoral reforms made ahead of the 2013 harmonised elections face potential reversal.
Efforts to get a comment from Zec chairperson Justice Rita Makarau were fruitless as her mobile phone went unanswered.
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