New voters’ roll: ZEC on the right track

John Mukumbo Correspondent

The move taken by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) last week to inform representatives of political parties falling under the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) that it is working to replace the current voters’ roll with a completely new biometric register that would record the faces and fingerprints of voters is a welcome development that should clear the air over the composition of the voters’ roll.

Opposition political parties have been calling on ZEC to reform on its operations and such a move by ZEC shows that this electoral body is prepared to accommodate the views of all the stakeholders in elections in the country. The fact that NERA of late has been carrying out demonstrations against ZEC calling for reforms means that ZEC is in the right direction. Those who have been making noise should now relax and give it time to carry on with its mandate.

It is a fact that some opposition political parties have been complaining that the existing voters’ roll has for years been allegedly containing anomalies that included ghost voters, inaccuracies in identity particulars, duplication of names and omissions that were said to be aiding the ruling party ZANU-PF in winning elections.

Now that ZEC has decided to start afresh the registration of eligible voters, opposition political parties should now give time ZEC to do its work. Time for demonstrations against ZEC should now be used by opposition political parties in educating their supporters to go and register for the f2018 harmonised elections.

Zimbabweans should take seriously what the ZEC chairperson, Justice Rita Makarau, said when she stated that the new registration of voters was likely to commence in March 2017 and the biometric roll would be polling station-based. So those who have been crying foul and alleging that there had been double voting in the country should now rest assured that nothing of that sort happens.

The fact that voter registration will be polling station-based means there will be no chance of one voting twice. So ZEC should be held in high esteem for coming up with such reforms which should put to rest the misconception that one can vote twice. Some were even saying that one can vote in another centre and then travel to another one to vote. With this polling station-based registration exercise such anomalies will be a thing of the past.

As someone who wanted to show all Zimbabweans that ZEC is there to make sure that everyone is registered, Justice Makarau went on to call on all members of NERA to encourage their members to get registered once the voter registration programme starts in March 2017.

For that reason people should take this initiative by ZEC seriously so that no one to cries foul in the event that one is not registered. It should be known that voting is every citizen’s right and for that right to be upheld there is need for everyone to register so that in 2018 onwards everyone wll be in a position to fulfil his/her voting right.

The electorate should be aware that opposition political parties have been calling for the Registrar-General to transfer all voting materials including the voters’ roll to ZEC and now ZEC is starting everything afresh. This should be applauded because no one will cry foul over the Registrar-General[s operations anymore when it comes to voting.

People should be aware that ZEC has decided to come up with the voters’ roll because the old voters’ roll did not capture people’s biometrics. So this new voters’ roll will capture people’s biometrics, meaning it will be very different to the old voters’ roll.

What is important for the potential voters to realise is that if you were registered for 2013, but don’t register for 2018, your picture will not appear on the voters’ roll, and your name will not be on the voters’ roll. For that reason political parties should educate their supporters to get this important message so that they won’t be found wanting. It would not make sense for someone to try to vote when one has not registered.

It is equally important for political parties to carry out voter education among their supporters during rallies throughout the country. People should be made to understand and appreciate that voter registration and the actual voting would be polling station-based. On the other hand, ZEC should also educate people on the importance of changing from the old voters’ roll to the new voters’ roll. Countrywide voter education on the pending new voter registration would assist people to understand why there is a need for such an exercise.

Normally people are reluctant to be registered in anything if there is no adequate education on why there is need for such registration. As such, ZEC should start now to come up with fliers written in all Zimbabwean languages so that people get to know what March 2017 has in store for them. The use of advertisements by ZEC on radio and national television as well as all national newspapers would help to make sure that information is disseminated to all.

Lack of adequate information on the new voter registration could jeorpadise the process, causing voter apathy in the 2018 harmonised elections. So the 2018 harmoniozed elections preparations should not be spoiled by lack of adequate information on the new voters’ roll.

ZEC should also educate the electorate on the importance of the biometric voting system. The fact that biometric voting is being increasingly adopted worldwide so as to enhance polling transparency, accuracy and security should also be a driving force for the electorate.

Now the opposition political parties should join ZEC in making sure that the new voter registration exercise is successful by encouraging their supporters to register for 2018 harmonised elections. Getting into political office should start in March 2017 when new voter registration kicks off. The electorate should remember that there is no voting when one is not registered and one can only vote at the polling station where they are registered.