News / National
Zec to unveil ballot printing company
19 Jun 2018 at 07:05hrs | Views
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission will this week unveil, before contesting political parties, the company that will print ballot papers to be used in the July 30 harmonised elections.
In an interview yesterday, Zec commissioner Dr Qhubani Moyo said the contesting parties would also be allowed to sample election materials.
He said the electoral commission wants to put to rest any electoral fraud myths that might arise from political parties ahead of the elections. "This week we are going to take the opportunity to invite the contesting political parties to go and see the companies that will print the ballot paper. They will also be given an opportunity to check the ballot paper for its quality and other features that they might deem necessary," Dr Moyo said.
"For the purposes of satisfying themselves that it will be a ballot paper that will not do all sorts of imaginary things like allowing movement of an X from one candidate to another."
He said while Zec was not obliged to reveal the printing company, it reached a compromise following political parties' requests.
"And we have said as a commission that while they cannot be involved in the selection of the company to print the ballot paper, we have made a compromise to say we will allow them to come in and observe the printing process so that we can mitigate against any suspicion regarding the ballot paper, regarding the quality of the ink and other myths and this is a confidence building mechanism," said Dr Moyo.
MDC Alliance president Mr Nelson Chamisa has been making threats to boycott elections if Zec does not involve his party in the ballot paper printing processes.
In compliance with the Electoral Act, Dr Moyo said, Zec will also be setting up a National Multi-party Liaison committee chaired by him.
He said the committee would address problems that may arise in election preparations.
"These are meant to be conflict resolution mechanisms so that they can attend to conflict that arises and we try to find ways of solving them by consensus. The multi-party liaison committees are also established at constituency level and also at ward level and in each province they are chaired by a Zec official," Dr Moyo said.
He said during the course of the week, Zec will also set up its media monitoring team that will be led by Commissioner Joyce Kazembe.
He said issue of the voters' roll was now water under the bridge as it is available in a form that can be analysed.
In an interview yesterday, Zec commissioner Dr Qhubani Moyo said the contesting parties would also be allowed to sample election materials.
He said the electoral commission wants to put to rest any electoral fraud myths that might arise from political parties ahead of the elections. "This week we are going to take the opportunity to invite the contesting political parties to go and see the companies that will print the ballot paper. They will also be given an opportunity to check the ballot paper for its quality and other features that they might deem necessary," Dr Moyo said.
"For the purposes of satisfying themselves that it will be a ballot paper that will not do all sorts of imaginary things like allowing movement of an X from one candidate to another."
He said while Zec was not obliged to reveal the printing company, it reached a compromise following political parties' requests.
"And we have said as a commission that while they cannot be involved in the selection of the company to print the ballot paper, we have made a compromise to say we will allow them to come in and observe the printing process so that we can mitigate against any suspicion regarding the ballot paper, regarding the quality of the ink and other myths and this is a confidence building mechanism," said Dr Moyo.
In compliance with the Electoral Act, Dr Moyo said, Zec will also be setting up a National Multi-party Liaison committee chaired by him.
He said the committee would address problems that may arise in election preparations.
"These are meant to be conflict resolution mechanisms so that they can attend to conflict that arises and we try to find ways of solving them by consensus. The multi-party liaison committees are also established at constituency level and also at ward level and in each province they are chaired by a Zec official," Dr Moyo said.
He said during the course of the week, Zec will also set up its media monitoring team that will be led by Commissioner Joyce Kazembe.
He said issue of the voters' roll was now water under the bridge as it is available in a form that can be analysed.
Source - chronicle
