Report by Bradley Mushonga
HARARE – MDC-T youth leader Solomon Madzore has described Zimbabwe’s voters roll as the worst on the African continent. The voters roll he said consisted of dead people such as the late Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith.
Speaking at the Media Centre public debate held last week at the Harare press club, Madzore said Zimbabwe needs a new, fresh and clean voters roll if the country wishes to conduct free and fair elections.
“We have the worst voters roll in the continent, l was shocked to hear that Ian Smith’s name is still in the voters roll” he said.
Zimbabwe came under a lot of critiscm after holding the June 2008 one man election run off when in the run up a lot of blood was shed under the brutal Zanu PF led ‘Operation Mavhotera Papi’ (where did you vote).
Madzore added that the inclusion of dead people on the voters roll is a clear reflection of the incompetence of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) which is appointed by the President who is also the leader of ZANU-PF.
He also attacked ZEC as lacking transparency and fairness saying it pointed to the probability of rigging and incorrect announcements of results. “We cannot be competing with a ghost, we want a fresh and clean voters roll” he said.
The debate centered on whether the Zimbabwean environment was conducive for the holding of free and fair elections which the President has on various occasions pronounced are going to be held this year in March.
The youth leader also added that since the attainment of independence in 1980, the country has been having ritual elections. “Zimbabwe has been going through ritual elections, elections for the sake of elections are unacceptable” he said.
“Zimbabwean elections have never been fair, never, since 11 September 1999 when we first contested they were not free and fair but just sham elections”, Madzore added.
The MDC-T has been clamouring for security sector and media reforms before the holding of any election which the party says is a measure which will avoid the reoccurrence of the 2008 bloodbath that saw the death of hundreds and left an unprecedented number disabled and on wheelchairs.
He also took a swipe at security sector generals who evade their constitutional mandates of protecting the people opting to act as politicians.
“How can elections be free and fair when security sector generals stand up acting as politicians. It would be great to hear our generals speaking about protecting people, which is their constitutional mandate” he added.
The youth leader also called for the repealing of draconian laws such as POSA and AIPPA if free and fair elections are to be conducted. “It is our hope and trust that all laws found wanting such as POSA and AIPPA be repealed.”
