We do not favour anyone: ZEC

Herald Reporter

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission does not favour any party, including the majority party in Government during elections and any political party that has grievances should approach the responsible authorities such as the Electoral Court and the police, Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said recently.

Speaking at a gender workshop in Kariba she said the commission’s role is purely administrative and is given all its powers and independence in terms of the Constitution.

“It is long been perceived that the ZEC somehow is biased towards the ruling party. When l say perceived I believe it’s a creation or figment of people’s imagination. Our role is purely administrative and I think this is where some of the unfair criticism comes from. We do not make law; we don’t set policy we follow the laws of the country,” she said.

Justice Chigumba said the commission will embark on an awareness campaign with stakeholders so that people understand how they operate.

She was speaking during a question-and-answer session during a workshop on Gender with Station Managers from different radio stations across the country held in Kariba.

Justice Chigumba urges people to report cases of violation of the Electoral Act to the police.

“When you look at the Electoral Act it clearly says any act of any electoral malpractices, like the words I was shouted at with or my poster was pulled down, the person who is aggrieved must go to the police station and have the docket opened for the violation of the Electoral Act. The problem is that people do not want to go to the police and do not want the dockets to be opened because the criminal process is a long one,” she said.

Allegations of election rigging are normally raised by political parties that would have failed to field agents at polling stations. The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission has embarked on strategies to ensure that the upcoming elections will be held in a peaceful manner.

Peace committees or members of National Peace and Reconciliation Commission in different provinces recently said they will find challenges on the ground and educate people on the importance of maintaining peace in the country.