News / National
MDC-T raises red flag over voters' roll
30 May 2018 at 08:41hrs | Views
MDC-T has raised alarm over the provisional biometric voters' roll, demanding that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) should release the provisional roll in electronic analysable data so that they could track changes and other duplications ahead of polls.
Addressing journalists in the capital yesterday, MDC-T chairperson Morgen Komichi claimed Zec had denied them access to a copy of the provisional voters' roll, citing flimsy excuses.
"Zec denied us the voters' roll, insisting that people should do individual inspection, after we noticed some anomalies on it. These anomalies justify why we have been calling for an independent audit of the voters' roll," he said.
This came as independent electoral watchdog, Electoral Resource Centre (ERC) has filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court, demanding a copy of the voters' roll from Zec.
ERC argued that Zec should release the copy in the spirit of promoting transparency and accountability in the management of electoral processes.
The MDC-T said in some cases Zec was sending correct voter registration particulars on text messages, but these did not tally with what was physically on the roll, raising suspicion.
"Reported incidences of details sent on cellphones from Zec not corresponding with the physical roll are worrisome, some names are entered correctly, but the gender is not correct, others have received messages confirming their registration centres, but upon physical inspection realise they have been posted to a different polling station or their names are missing completely on the roll," he said.
Komichi singled out Zanu-PF Harare East, legislator Terence Mukupe, as being involved in a ploy to transfer voters to his constituency.
"We have received reports where people are reregistering themselves, but in different wards and constituencies, a case in point is residents of ward 24 of Goromonzi South to ward 45 in Harare East, and the commissioner of oaths to these affidavits is none other than Terence Mukupe, whose recent statements that the army will not accept results other than a Zanu-PF victory leave a lot to be desired," he said.
Party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said the MDC-T might approach the courts to force Zec to release the voters' roll so that the anomalies are addressed before the polls.
Addressing journalists in the capital yesterday, MDC-T chairperson Morgen Komichi claimed Zec had denied them access to a copy of the provisional voters' roll, citing flimsy excuses.
"Zec denied us the voters' roll, insisting that people should do individual inspection, after we noticed some anomalies on it. These anomalies justify why we have been calling for an independent audit of the voters' roll," he said.
This came as independent electoral watchdog, Electoral Resource Centre (ERC) has filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court, demanding a copy of the voters' roll from Zec.
ERC argued that Zec should release the copy in the spirit of promoting transparency and accountability in the management of electoral processes.
"Reported incidences of details sent on cellphones from Zec not corresponding with the physical roll are worrisome, some names are entered correctly, but the gender is not correct, others have received messages confirming their registration centres, but upon physical inspection realise they have been posted to a different polling station or their names are missing completely on the roll," he said.
Komichi singled out Zanu-PF Harare East, legislator Terence Mukupe, as being involved in a ploy to transfer voters to his constituency.
"We have received reports where people are reregistering themselves, but in different wards and constituencies, a case in point is residents of ward 24 of Goromonzi South to ward 45 in Harare East, and the commissioner of oaths to these affidavits is none other than Terence Mukupe, whose recent statements that the army will not accept results other than a Zanu-PF victory leave a lot to be desired," he said.
Party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora said the MDC-T might approach the courts to force Zec to release the voters' roll so that the anomalies are addressed before the polls.
Source - newsday
