MDC-T has always been aware of the flaws with the biometric voter registration (BVR) kits following extensive briefings from its technical advisers, but has deliberately kept this information away from the public, party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has claimed.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
Mwonzora said the party’s silence was to allow for “engagements” with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to end, adding he had written to the elections management body over the central server system, which will be used to manage data collected from the voter registration exercise.
“We have been seized with this issue and have engaged Zec, we wrote them a letter on the issues, which were eventually raised in NewsDay,” he said.
“The party is engaging Zec quietly on electoral reforms because, if we do it in public, we might discourage people from participating in the election.”
A senior MDC-T official said if Zimbabweans were to believe the polls would be rigged, it might discourage them from registering to vote.
“We know the challenges of BVR, but, as a party, we are taking on Zec privately while encouraging our supporters and potential voters to register to vote,” the official said.
“If people out there believe that the election will be rigged, they might not even register to vote.”
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MDC-T has been accused of hastily endorsing the BVR exercise, with party president, Morgan Tsvangirai, giving Laxton Group the thumbs-up.
Party spokesperson Obert Gutu said a report by Laxton Group exposing Zec’s shortcomings had vindicated Tsvangirai, who endorsed them as a professional company.
“We know exactly what we are doing and why we have endorsed BVR and Laxton Group Limited, their conduct this far has shown that they are professional. Remember, we have been in the business of politics for a very long time now,” he said.
“Our computer experts are always updating us on the relevant issues to watch out for regarding BVR. Moreover, the majority of the people of Zimbabwe have reposed their trust in the MDC to form the next government and, therefore, remove them from poverty, hunger, joblessness and political repression.”
