VILLAGERS in Zanu PF’s stronghold, Mashonaland Central on Friday demanded that Parliament should include in the Electoral Amendment Bill a clause that ensured voters who feigned illiteracy at polling booths were arrested.
VENERANDA LANGA
Presenting public views on the Bill at Rushinga in Mt Darwin, the villagers said the “unusually” high number of “assisted voters” registered in last year’s harmonized elections was cause for concern as it gave room for manipulation of the voting system.
The villagers said presiding officers should be vested with arresting powers at polling stations to curb malpractices whereby people that could read and write were “assisted” to vote by party activists.
The issues came out during a public hearing on the Electoral Amendment Act which was conducted in Rushinga by the Jessie Majome (MDC-T MP for Harare West)-led Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
The public hearings being conducted throughout the country are being facilitated by Parliament in conjunction with the Southern Africa Parliamentary Support Trust.
Parliament is currently amending electoral laws to ensure they were in tandem with the new charter.
Sungano Mukoteri told the committee that assisted voters rendered elections less credible and urged totally independent Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
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“Presiding officers at polling stations should have arresting powers so that those people who feign illiteracy can be instantly arrested,” Mukoteri said.
A female Rushinga villager Zvayadzwa Murefu added: “We have witnessed our educated former classmates and even headmasters and teachers being assisted to vote during elections and the practice is suspicious and we want it to stop.”
The Rushinga villagers also demanded instant registration of deaths so that the names of deceased people were immediately removed from the voters’ roll.
Last Nyamasoka also said special voting should be extended to the disabled, sick and aged people.
“The clause on the announcement of Presidential results should be amended and reduced from five days to three days to avoid too much anxiety and possible tampering with results,” Nyamasoka said.
