adminPatrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has begun consultations with political parties and civil society as it prepares to take over the compilation of the voters’ roll and registers from the Registrar-General’s Office in line with the new constitution.Chapter 12 Section 239 (c), (d) and (e) of the New Constitution stipulates that Zec shall, in addition to its functions, register voters, compile voters’ rolls and registers, ensure custody and maintenance of voters’ rolls and register and delimit constituencies, wards and other electoral boundaries.
Addressing members of media at a Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) post election workshop in Harare on Friday, Zec public relations officer, Tendai Pamire said work on the mandate to take over the voters roll from Registrar General’s Office had started.
“I need to make it clear that the law stipulates that the voter’s roll should be transferred to Zec from the Register General’s Office. It’s the law. So the process has started. We have started consultations, meeting with political parties, civil society and various stakeholders as we map the way forward,” said Pamire.
He said setting up the voters roll by the commission was work in progress.
Meanwhile, Pamire said infrastructural challenges made it impossible for voters to see votes being counted in the 2013 harmonised elections.
Citing South Africa’s voting system as an example where votes were made public to the people as counting was taking place after the May 7 general elections, Pamire said the commission was also consulting concerned parties.
“It is our wish as Zec that the people will get regular updates of the votes. However, infrastructure challenges are making it impossible,” he said.
Last year in December, Zec officials met in Bulawayo to deliberate on which voter registration model to adopt when registering voters for elections.
After a two-day consideration, the commission decided to stick with the continuous voter registration model, when it finally takes over the process from the Registrar General’s office.
Online Reporter