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The delays in distributing voting material for the Special Voting on Sunday provided cannon fodder for the different media houses that want to discredit the electoral process. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission mandated to run the elections explained the causes of the delays in dispatching ballot papers throughout the country which it said was caused by MDCs’ appeals. Zec said the Electoral Court had to contend with 47 nomination appeals and out of these, 17 were successful, 12 were thrown out while parties withdrew 18.
According to Zec deputy chairperson Mrs Joyce Kazembe, the appeals meant that the commission had to wait for the Electoral Court to clear the cases before they could start printing the ballot papers. Mrs Kazembe, however, said the commission did not foresee such a problem arising for harmonised elections set for 31 July. She said the printing of the ballot papers for the harmonised elections would be finished by the end of next week thereby enabling the commission to distribute them on time.
The MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai has already expressed reservations on Zec’s capacity to run the elections as a result of what he described as chaos that characterised the start of the special voting meant to cater for more than 87 000 prospective voters who will be on duty on voting day. Mr Tsvangirai’s panicking is unwarranted given the explanation by Zec as to why there were delays in dispatching the ballot papers. Mr Tsvangirai’s party, MDC-T, is one of the parties that caused the delays as its members appealed against the results of the Nomination Court.
The temporary setback that affected the start of the two-day Special Voting can therefore not be used as the yardstick to measure Zec’s capacity to run the elections. We know there are individuals or political parties out to discredit the forthcoming elections and will therefore exploit any shortcoming in the electoral process. The challenge to Zec, as we have said it before, is to ensure that the harmonised elections are run smoothly. This entails thorough preparations for the plebiscite whose credibility hinges on Zec’s ability to run the three in one elections.
Zec should push hard for the release of money by Treasury on time so that it has all the required election material in place well ahead of the elections. The Special Voting should be used as a dress rehearsal for the actual elections and any shortcomings noted should be addressed so that we do not have a repeat of it in the elections.
The world’s focus is on these elections and Zec and the country should demonstrate that as before, we are capable of running credible elections. The election observers expected from different parts of the globe, including Sadc and the African Union, should find no fault in how we run our elections.
Last time we provided a template on how harmonised elections are run and this time we want to perfect the whole system. Zec has the mandate to carry the day for the nation on 31 July but it can only be able to fulfill this mandate if it is provided with all the necessary resources. We want to believe by now Zec has all the necessary tools for the job such as vehicles and other such necessities. The polls are just about two weeks away and Treasury should have by now released all the funding that Zec requires.
Zec on its part should have attended to all the election logistics as well as train the required manpower. It should be all systems go come 31 July. The voter education, we want to admit, has been going on well as those engaged to carry out the exercise have been moving from door to door. Zec should not be detracted by individuals including leaders of political parties like Mr Tsvangirai who are already questioning its capacity to run elections.
The Commission should instead be spurred by such criticism and prove such prophets of doom wrong. We want to once again implore Zec to adequately prepare for these crucial elections whose outcome has a bearing on our destiny as a nation.
Online Reporter