Diaspora vote dominates conference

MIRROR REPORTER

TROUTBECK NYANGA – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) held its traditional review of the 2023 harmonised elections during a two-day conference held in Nyanga this week with dominant issues being the need to extend voting rights to Zimbabweans living abroad, the need for transparency in the tabulation of the Presidential vote and alleged biased approach to elections by both Police and ZEC.
Opening the conference on Tuesday, ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said the review will lead to electoral reforms and it officially marked the beginning of preparations for the 2028 national elections.
The conference ran from Tuesday to Thursday and was attended by more than 160 stakeholders from political parties, churches, various embassies, Police, Civic Society Organisations and various constitutional commissions.
Most presenters who were drawn from Government and quasi-Government departments hailed ZEC and Police for holding successful elections while Civic Society Organisations, Elisabeth Valerio, the president of the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) and journalists were adamant that the elections were not free and fair and called for sweeping reforms.
Chigumba said the purpose of the review was to look at things that “ZEC did right and what can be improved”. She said at the end that the conference was an anxious moment for her and was relieved that it was over.
ZEC vice chairperson, Ambassador Rodney Kiwa later told The Mirror that the review process was not just limited to the four walls of the conference room and invited Zimbabweans who have contributions to make, to submit them to ZEC.
ZEC lawyer, Tawanda Kanengoni who made two presentations at the conference said that the electoral law had too many grey areas and needs to be specific. He said such grey areas were disruptive to the electoral process and he called on the legislature to bring in an Electoral Court.
Valerio said hundreds of her party candidates were unfairly disqualified from the elections by ZEC and described the Commission as biased. Valerio also did not have kind words for the Police which she described as heavily biased in favour of the ruling party Zanu PF.
Tonderai Toneo Rutsito, a journalist with Techmag quizzed Police boss Commissioner Godwin Matanga on why hundreds of CCC meetings and rallies were banned while all Zanu PF meetings were sanctioned. He also questioned why Presidential results were not posted on ZEC website for the public to access them. Another journalist accused ZEC of not being accessible to the media.
Charles Moyo, a CCC MP called for the automatic registration of people who turn 18 as voters.
Zimbabwe Media Commission, senior official Academy Bvumayi Chinamhora advised ZEC to revise its media strategy since radio, newspapers and television no longer have reach. He told the Commission to turn to publications that are dominant on digital platforms for its awareness campaigns.
Chinamhora said digital media will be a big force to reckon with in the 2028 elections particularly in view of the licensing Starlink.
Women organisations called for stiffer action against political parties that do not meet the 50-50 women quarter including rejecting their registration for elections.
ZEC CEO, Utoile Silaigwana said a lot of the problems blamed on his organisation should be blamed on the law.
“ZEC only acts within the law and will not do anything that is not provided for in the statutes. Those blaming ZEC should instead convince the legislature to reform the laws,” said Silaigwana.
He also said that Diaspora vote can only happen if the laws of Zimbabwe are changed.