adminBut the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces is seeking a further extension to 31 March 2013. In his application, lodged on his behalf by Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa, President Mugabe said the idea was to subsume the holding of the by-elections in the harmonised elections in the last week of March 2013.
Given that Government has no money and is faced with three mammoth national tasks, the population census, the referendum on the new constitution and presidential, parliamentary and council elections, having the by-elections subsume to be the harmonised elections is the best solution to the electoral puzzle. The by-elections would not have been held in Nkayi South, Lupane East and Bulilima East alone because there are 16 vacant House of Assembly seats, 11 Senate seats, two chiefs’ seats and 164 council wards. The reasonable thing would have been to call for polls in all these vacant constituencies and wards, which was like holding a mini-general election less than a year when the mandatory polls are due.
The population census, the referendum and the harmonised polls all require substantial funding. In fact according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the by-elections required $47 547 036, the referendum needed $104 651 273 while the harmonised elections were expected to chew $115 374 890.
This would have made holding the by-elections expensive at a time when Government is struggling to meet its other budgetary obligations.
It is hoped that by March next year, all the other necessary processes that must be fulfilled before the holding of the harmonised elections would have been met.
According to President Mugabe’s application holding the by-elections would have seen the nation having three key events in a period of six months. These were the referendum, which is anticipated to be held during the first week of November, the by-elections would take place in December and the harmonised general elections expected by the end of March next year.
While the decision on the matter hinges on the ruling by the courts, we take this opportunity to call for tolerance and peaceful co-existence because the harmonised polls to end the life of the inclusive Government are only six months away.
During those six months political temperatures are envisaged to rise as politicians and their supporters hit the campaign trail to woo voters. But we urge all those who will be contesting for political office to heed President Mugabe’s call for peaceful campaigns.
We call for peace even in the primary elections where political parties choose their representatives.
The culture of using violence against those opposed to your political view or ideology must just stop. People of different political persuasions must learn to tolerate one another because elections come and go and you will still have to meet in other spheres of life. We believe leaders should take the initiative because they have influence over their supporters. Once leaders show restraint, shun hate speech and campaign peacefully, supporters will follow suit.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo