Chronicle Editor
ZIMBABWEANS are encouraged to take advantage of the final nationwide mobile biometric voter registration exercise to run from Sunday to March 21 ahead of this year’s harmonised elections.
The 10-day voter registration blitz follows the recent conclusion of the delimitation exercise.
The Zimbabwean Constitution grants all citizens aged 18 and older the right to vote
Voting gives Zimbabweans an opportunity to be part of the decision-making that affects their lives and the future of the country and by failing to take part in the process one allows others to make decisions for them.
President Mnangagwa has, on many platforms, urged Zimbabweans to register to vote so that they can decide the direction of the country.
The President has also preached unity and peace ahead of the elections emphasising that Zimbabweans should be bound by the love of country.
After the blitz, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will undertake various other activities, including opening the voters’ roll for public inspection, which will lead up to the elections, reported our sister publication The Sunday Mail.
Eligible voters will, however, still be able to register until two days after proclamation of the election date by President Mnangagwa.
ZEC has already tabled a $130 billion budget to conduct the harmonised polls, with Treasury now expected to start disbursing the funds.
According to ZEC’s preliminary 2023 elections roadmap, the polls management body is preparing for an extensive post-delimitation awareness programme to explain to the electorate the new electoral boundaries.
This process will lead to other routine electoral procedures such as accreditation of observers and the media, production of the voters’ roll, constitution of the nomination court and establishment of the Multi-Party Liaison Committee.
ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana said preparations for the harmonised elections have commenced.
“The commission will undertake a nationwide mobile voter registration exercise from 12 to 21 March, 2023, as it normally does before any general election. The voter registration blitz will provide an opportunity for new registrants to register and for the existing registrants to apply for transfers. Currently, training to equip voter educators, voter registration officers and their supervisors is underway in preparation for the blitz.”
A final elections roadmap, he said, is being crafted and will be shared with the public once President Mnangagwa has proclaimed the election date.
“The commission is finalising the roadmap to the elections, which will be shared with stakeholders once the election date has been proclaimed by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. ZEC requires $128,6 billion for the elections. Treasury has always honoured its obligation to fund the commission,” he said.
ZEC said the preliminary elections roadmap includes a post-delimitation exercise to publicise new electoral boundaries.
“The programme will be multi-faceted and entail engaging various stakeholder groups, deployment of voter education officers, use of both print and electronic media and the use of the ZEC website and social media platforms.”
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