HARARE – Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has poured scorn on the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD)’s electoral reform declaration saying it lacked critical issues that were key to the holding of credible polls in the country.
POLAD, a grouping of 2018 presidential election candidates who all lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, on Wednesday set out its own raft of demands it would want met by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for the country to hold free and fair elections.
The politicians demanded, among issues mentioned in their wish list, ZEC to announce election results within 72 hours of the holding of the poll and to guarantee fair broadcast and print space for participating parties on state media.
POLAD also demanded ZEC to ensure assisted voters hired persons of their choice and such assistants to be prohibited from assisting more than one person.
However, CCC’s national deputy elections officer Ellen Shiriyedenga, told the media that POLAD’s declaration lacked the efficacy of a genuine electoral reform agenda, which should be based on its ability to ensure that elections are run efficiently, freely, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the law.
She added, “…The document is devoid in terms of addressing the electoral environmental concerns looking at the issues to do with security of the vote.
“These include political freedoms, and the influence of political or electoral stakeholders for example the traditional leaders, the Judiciary, the security sector and other key players that impact on the outcome of the electoral processes.”
Demands for electoral reforms by the opposition are now common when the country prepares to hold general elections.
The opposition demands grew louder in March this year when some by-elections held in many parts of the country exposed massive poll irregularities which signalled a disastrous general election next year if left unresolved.
Nelson Chamisa’s party is set to launch its own electoral reform blueprint in which the opposition seeks to address critical issues omitted in POLAD’s declaration.
The blueprint, code named PREPARE, outlines seven key reforms Shiriyedenga said would form the basis of her party’s position when it is time to negotiate for electoral reforms.
“The seven minimum reforms are firstly the right to vote, secondly is a credible, auditable voters’ roll. Third, it is the real-time credible results management system.
“Fourth, it is the integrity of ZEC, polling materials, security and personnel.
“Fifth, it is access to media and political freedoms.
“Sixth is the security of the vote and seventh the security of the voter.”
