ZEC again fails to produce voters’ roll

By Richard Chidza

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) this week failed to produce an electronic version of the voters’ roll following a demand of it by the opposition MDC-T, as dark clouds gather over the expected and crucial by-elections.

Zec, in response to the demand, reportedly claimed it was yet to begin the process of compiling a voters’ roll and was also not in possession of the old one, raising doubts over its ability to preside over the two by-elections proclaimed by President Robert Mugabe and set for the end of March.

MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora early this week wrote to Zec’s chief elections officer demanding the electronic version of the voters’ roll used for the harmonised polls in July 2013.

“In accordance with the provisions of Section 155 (1) (c) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the MDC-T hereby formally requests to be furnished with an electronic copy of the national voters’ roll,” he wrote.

“We understand that in terms of Statutory Instrument 1 of 2015, the President issued a proclamation for by-elections to be held in two constituencies, being Mt Darwin West and Chirumanzu-Zibagwe. The promulgation was done in terms of section 39 (1) of the Electoral Act and section 129 (1) (c)  of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

“Our request to be furnished with an electronic copy of the national voters’ roll is also underpinned by the provisions of Section 151 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe that states that elections must be held regularly and must be peaceful, free and fair. We look forward to being furnished with an electronic copy of the national voters’ roll within seven (7) days from the date of this letter.”

Zec chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana yesterday declined to comment on the matter.

“I am not at the office, can I request that you present your questions in writing to the chairperson. In fact, the chairperson is not in the office until next week hence you might need to talk to the secretary of the commission,” said Silaigwana.

The contact number provided by Silaigwana for the Zec secretary was unreachable all day, while the Commission’s chairperson Rita Makarau was also not available for comment as her mobile phone went unanswered.

However, Mwonzora confirmed he had since received the Zec response.

“It is true that yesterday (Thursday) I wrote to the commission requesting for the electronic version of the voters’ roll. I have since received their response in which Zec is saying they are unable to provide the roll because they do not have one. In the same letter Zec have indicated that they have not even started the process of compiling one,” said Mwonzora.

The MDC-T secretary-general said his party was now worried as to how Zec intended to preside over the conduct of the by-elections in the two constituencies previously held by former vice-president Joice Mujuru (Mt Darwin West) and her successor Emnmerson Mnangagwa (Chirumanzi-Zibagwe).

“The question now is how are Zec going to conduct the two by-elections if they do not have a voters roll and have not even began the process of compiling one. We are seriously mulling taking legal action to stop all electoral processes until such time a voters’ roll can be provided as prescribed by law to those that are interested in inspecting it for the purposes of an election or any other,” Mwonzora said.

Following the adoption of a new constitution crafted by a committee of parliament after a referendum early in 2013, Zec is now mandated with election management as well as being the custodians of the voters’ roll, a contentious document as regards polls in  Zimbabwe.

Previously administered by Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede’s department, the voters’ roll has remained a sticking point in all elections in the past decade and a half. The opposition has argued that Mudede’s department and has a bias towards the ruling Zanu PF party and complicit in “election rigging and ballot stuffing” to aid the ruling party. The Zimbabwe Mail