As the debate over Electoral Reforms continues to dominate political debates, the electoral management board becomes very very key. In as much as political realists appreciate that major issues of concern lie within the confines of the law, it must be noted that ZEC is proving to be unable to perform its mandate.
To commence with, the Presidential Proclamation for the 26 March By-Elections alluded only to the vacant parliamentary seats after being notified by the Hon. Speaker Of Parliament. ZEC went a step further in opening up on a number of vacant local authority seats. The problem comes from their failure to communicate effectively and timeously. To note that up to this date 20 January 2022 their website elections notice board only carries out the 2018 elections information with no recent updates is very worrying.
At a time when the government is preaching “e-governance” adoption in the spirit of fighting Covid 19, it’s insensible for a whole government-run commission to fail basic communication techniques. If one further resorts to confirming updates by following Press Briefings and media notices in the print media one would be shocked to see about 10 wards publicly declared against a huge number as claimed by the ZEC Chair in the recent media briefing.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission must up its own game and create an environment that is conducive for a free and fair election. If they cannot provide reliable information timeously then they can never be expected to run and manage a credible election.
Everjoy Chidindi
LEAD Presidential Spokesperson
