via Zec stutters on Hurungwe West mess-up – NewsDay Zimbabwe June 23, 2015
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) yesterday admitted that Zanu PF winning candidate for Hurungwe West, Keith Guzah, was, in fact, a registered voter in Magunje constituency, but insisted that his election was procedural.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
In a statement last night, Zec chairperson Justice Rita Makarau also admitted Guzah had been denied the right to vote in the June by-election because his name did not appear on the constituency roll of voters.
“On polling day, Keith Guzah was denied the right to vote as his name was not on the voters’ roll for Hurungwe West. The commission had issued a position statement that only those on the voters’ roll would be allowed to vote. His old block number was captured as his new block number and the transfer was, therefore, not effected on the computer. He was retained on
the voters’ roll for Magunje,” Makarau said.
She, however, claimed Guzah “was lawfully and procedurally nominated as a candidate for the Hurungwe West by-election after being transferred from Magunje to Hurungwe West on March 23 this year.
“The V3 Form setting out his application for transfer of registration as a voter bears serial number 010599A and is available for inspection to all interested parties. On the basis of the above transfer, Keith Guzah was duly nominated as a candidate for Hurungwe West on 08 April 2015 when the nomination court for that by-election sat,” the Zec chairperson said, adding Guzah’s name was not electronically updated on the voters’ roll for that constituency “because of a transposition of the block numbers relating to his old and new registrations”.
At the weekend, Zec officials admitted to bungling in emailed responses to NewsDay.
Former Zanu PF Mashonaland West chairperson Temba Mliswa, who contested the poll as an independent candidate, threatened to file for nullification of the results.
“I will be consulting with my lawyers, but I can tell you that we will be writing to Zec for clarification on what happens now.”
Opposition MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu urged Zec to declare Mliswa the winner of the poll.
COMMENTS