Election date set for reps for people living with disabilities

Harare Bureau
ELECTIONS to elect the two national senatorial representatives for people living with disabilities in the Upper House of Assembly will be held on August 2, 2013, ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau has said. Justice Makarau announced the election date yesterday when she met representatives of people living with disabilities. ZEC would conduct the elections.

“Elections of senators living with disabilities will not be done on July 31 2013 but on August 2 2013 if there is no run-off. Elections for the two senators to represent persons living with disabilities will be conducted within an electoral college that shall be constituted in a fashion provided for in the Electoral Act,” she said.

She said the elections would not be done on a party list and on a proportional representative system as happens with all other senators. One of the two senators should be a woman.

She said people living with disabilities would however be expected to vote in the harmonised elections to be held on July 31.

ZEC commissioner Professor Geoff Feltoe said people living with disabilities could be assisted to vote by persons of their choice and in the event they fail to bring a friend or relative two electoral officials and a policeman on duty would be asked to assist.

He said for the visually impaired the presiding officer would have to be present when the person of choice marks the ballot paper.

However, representatives of people living with disabilities complained of the time frame they were afforded to campaign.

Ms Lilian Gwanyanya, a member of the National Council of Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe said the two senatorial seats were not enough as there was a need to elect the senators on a provincial basis. She also said it was unfair that people living with disabilities were not represented in the National Assembly.

She said it was unfair that institutions were also part of the electoral college raising fears that some people who might not qualify would end up being elected.

Advisor to the President on disability issues Rtd Brigadier General Felix Muchemwa said while there are a number of issues that the people living with disabilities would want to raise – the body would comply with the law.

According to the requirements people constituting the electoral college should be living with disability and half of the delegates must be women.
The people must be registered voters while four of the nominees should be chosen by the national disability board.

“As soon as possible, after the end of balloting for candidates under this part, the returning officer or officers that conducted the ballot shall inform the commission, in writing of the names of the candidates who would have been duly elected,” said ZEC deputy chair Mrs Joyce Kazembe.

On the same date and at different venues provincial assemblies of chiefs would meet to elect two senatorial representatives.

In Manicaland the assembly convenes at Chiefs Hall in Mutare, Mashonaland Central at New Government buildings in Bindura, Mashonaland East at Mbuya Nehanda Hall in Marondera, and in Mashonaland West at Cooksey Memorial Hall in Chinhoyi.

In Masvingo province the assembly convenes at Chiefs Hall, Matabeleland North convenes at Chiefs Hall, Ntabazinduna while in Matabeleland South the assembly would convene at Government buildings in Gwanda.

Elections in Midlands would be held at Chiefs Hall, Senga in Gweru.