ZIMBABWE Electoral Commission (Zec) chairperson Justice Rita Makarau yesterday told Parliament the electoral body was prepared for elections and did not have a wish list on poll dates as they would be guided by law.
SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER
Justice Makarau, her deputy Joyce Kazembe and Zec commissioners appeared before joint sittings of the Parliamentary Thematic Committee on Peace and Security chaired by Rushinga Senator Damien Mumvuri and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs chaired by Glen View South MP Paul Madzore.
The committees had invited Zec to speak on the necessary ingredients for peaceful and fair elections as well as Zec preparedness to run them and the on-going voter registration exercise.
“Zec is still to sit to decide on the contents of the polling date and Zec will be guided by what is in the law,” Justice Makarau said.
“We are prepared to hold elections that have been proclaimed within the confines of the law and we have limited ourselves to say if elections are called within the minimum requirements of the law, we will be ready.”
Kazembe told the committee that 30 political parties had shown interest to contest in the harmonised elections.
“People at embassies, police or army on outside postings will vote using a special vote, but everybody else in the Diaspora is not catered for by the law. There is a body that has been mandated to monitor hate speech and it is an electoral offence. Zec has no relationship with the security sector — our relationship is only with the police,” Kazembe said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Justice Makarau added that, according to the law, Zec was going to control access to State media after the proclamation of dates of elections to ensure all political parties got fair coverage.
“Zec views the ingredients for a free and fair election as including an environment that is free of violence and intimidation, an election where members of the citizenry are free to go and choose the leaders of their choice, and a process that allows each candidate or political party equal access to information about the process, without any attempt by the body conducting the vote to manipulate the results in favour of one or more contestants,” Justice Makarau said.
She said $150 million was requested for elections, but only $25 million had been disbursed, but they were ready for polls and awaiting release of the balance.
