COMMENT: No politician must overthrow the decision of the masses

It has been hectic for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) in recent months.
Any preparation for a general election is a monumental task but this year, the task was made more monumental because of multiple electoral disputes which ended up in the courts.

Zec could not print ballot papers before the cases were concluded. With no ballot papers printed, there was nothing to deliver to areas where there were disputes. When the disputes were resolved, it was too late for Zec to transport the papers before the start of polling in some parts of Harare, Manicaland, Bulawayo and Mashonaland East on Wednesday. The ballots arrived at a number of places at 7pm on that day, the time when polling stations were supposed to close.

Zec announced an extension of voting into the night so that no eligible and interested voter was disenfranchised.
Demonstrating his commitment to ensuring that the election was inclusive, credible, free, fair and representative of the will of the people, the President declared yesterday voting day in affected areas.

These were very important steps, which took everyone on board.
Those who could not vote on time due to logistical challenges deserve praise for maintaining their calm and patiently waiting for their chance. In other countries, delays as prolonged as witnessed on Wednesday could have resulted in violence. However, Zimbabweans being Zimbabweans, they maintained their discipline throughout.

With preliminary results coming out, we want that discipline to continue.
By the time of writing, Zec had only officially announced results for 90 wards which Zanu-PF candidates won unopposed after all opposition parties failed to field candidates on nomination day on June 21. We congratulate the party and the 90 for the headstart.

Zec, too, had not started announcing results of any of the seats that were contested on Wednesday.
However, indications are that Zanu-PF not only defended its rural strongholds but also grew its numbers in opposition territory. It also appears that there will be two parties in Parliament, but dominated by the ruling party once again.

Such a scenario stabilizes our nascent democracy, it engenders that competitive spirit among the politicians. In the end, whoever gets voted into office will strive to deliver with the knowledge that if they make silly mistakes, the electorate will punish them next time.

That is what democracy is all about. Politicians submit themselves to the electorate who exercise their democratic right to elect whoever they judge will run the affairs of the country most competently. Once the people take that decision, no politician must overthrow the decision of the masses. It is the masses who install, it is the masses who remove from office.

Therefore, yes, authorities took a commendable decision to extend voting to yesterday in areas which were not ready to get the process rolling in the morning on Wednesday and ending in the evening of that day.
No one was disenfranchised and the outcome of the election would be a true reflection of the will of our people.