THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is set to pilot the use of marker pens with indelible ink, instead of finger dipping, as a precaution against double voting.
BY NQOBILE BHEBHE
In a statement, Zec chief elections officer, Constance Chigwamba, said the pilot programme will be carried out on April 2 in the Chiredzi Town Council ward 5 and Binga Rural District Council ward 1 by-elections.
“The same will be conducted for Bubi Rural District Council ward 15 and Vungu Rural District Council ward 2 on 23 April,” she said.
“Stakeholders in the respective wards are encouraged to make the electorate aware of the pilot programme to complement Zec’s efforts in this regard.”
Chigwamba said there are many advantages associated with the marker pen compared to the dipping method.
“It reduces the amount of ink used,” she said.
“It is user friendly and tidy. It is easy to handle and distribute. The marker pen is environmentally friendly.”
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Chigwamba said the new method has been used in other Sadc countries that include South Africa, Angola, Seychelles, Zambia and Namibia.
“The actual cost factor of adopting this method of inking voters will be established at the end of the pilot project which is meant to establish its viability,” she said.
“The results of this pilot project will give direction to some of the voting options that will be adopted during the 2018 General Elections.”
According to reports, Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has told Senators that, to further democratise elections, the government will be adopting biometric voting technology, polling stations based voter’s roll and ensure that Zec was fully independent, among other moves.
Zimbabwean elections since 2000 have been dogged by accusations of rigging.
