‘Tired of disputed elections’ – Chamisa launches electoral reform blueprint

Main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) president Nelson Chamisa on Thursday launched an electoral reform blueprint ahead of the 2023 harmonised general elections.

Presiding over the event Chamisa said the reform document dubbed Pre-Election Pact on Electoral Reforms (PREPARE), if implemented, was meant to end the history of disputed elections.

Accordingly, the CCC’s seven PREPARE minimum electoral reform areas for dialogue are:

The right to vote, Credibility of the Voters Roll, Realtime and credible Results Management and Transmission System, Integrity of Election Processes, Political freedoms and Media access, Security of the vote and Security of the voter.

Chamisa said there was a need for a dialogue with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), Parliament and the executive to ensure that the reforms are implemented ahead of the presidential election.

“PREPARE is a clarion call for all citizenry, election stakeholders, ZEC, Parliament, the Executive and other relevant institutions to urgently dialogue on the envisaged electoral laws,” he said.

“The seven minimum electoral reform pillars sufficiently PREPARE Zimbabwe for a leveled electoral playing field and the future political democracy of the country.

“This blueprint is a product of wide Citizens consultation with many stakeholders and is motivated by the desire to give effect to the requirements of the electoral standards prescribed in the Constitution and including the regional and global best practices.”

Chamisa added: “Since 1980 credible and undisputed elections have been a pipe dream in Zimbabwe. People have not been able to choose their own leaders.

“This is what we need to correct, this is what we need to remedy. Indeed, the history of disputed elections is a common story within the region and the continent. Zimbabwe is known for testimony of elections that are disputed, that is part of what we need to resolve.”

CCC vice president Tendai Biti said the opposition was “tired of contested elections” and urged Zanu-PF to adopt the PREPARE document.

“We are tired of contested elections, since 1980 electoral issue remains an outstanding issue.

“We have to put a full stop to the election dispute and I hope that our colleagues in Zanu PF can understand that our PREPARE document is a peace offering. It is a document to create a soft landing for our country,” Biti said.

Chamisa is likely to face Zanu-PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa for the second time in the 2023 presidential race.