Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Zimpapers Correspondent
A 15-MEMBER delegation from Lesotho’s Independent Electoral Commission has praised Zimbabwe’s harmonised election model, calling it a regional benchmark for efficiency, cost-saving and democratic transparency.
The team is in the country on a benchmarking visit to study the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) legislative and operational frameworks as Lesotho prepares to overhaul its electoral laws.
The proposed reforms seek to move the country from staggered polling to a simultaneous system for presidential, parliamentary and local government elections — a model Zimbabwe has refined.
Speaking on the sidelines of the exchange programme in Harare yesterday, leader of the Lesotho delegation, District Electoral Officer Mr Kamohelo Chobokoane, said the visit’s purpose was to learn from Harare’s experience.
“We came here for basically one thing; we intend to overhaul our electoral Acts (laws) such that at the end of the day, what Zimbabwe hosted as harmonised elections, we may have something similar,” he said.
Mr Chobokoane said holding different elections at different times is costly and causes voter fatigue.
“It is costly to have different elections being hosted at different times. The fatigue of people who come for elections every year is bad for the country.
“We are of the opinion to come and learn from their (Zimbabwe’s) experiences,” he added.
He also commended the transparency of Zimbabwe’s nomination process and ZEC’s adherence to SADC protocols on democratic elections.
“The best practice is simply that you people on this side are able to host more than one election in one day.
“It is a good practice because it saves a lot of money for the country. It helps to promote voter turnout,” he added.
ZEC officials welcomed the recognition, noting that the country’s electoral standards continue to attract peers from across the continent, including previous delegations from Botswana and Ethiopia.
“It shows a lot of respect and professionalism that is given to our own institutions as a body that other countries feel they can benchmark on,” ZEC Director of Legal Services Ms Shamiso Chahuruva said.
“As members of the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries, we collaborate and share notes on best practices.”
The benchmarking programme will include visits to ZEC’s provincial and district offices in Mashonaland West, where the Lesotho team will observe grassroots election administration, staff training and stakeholder engagement.
