News / National
Elections commission invites election observers
26 Feb 2013 at 06:40hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is inviting applications from individuals and organisations for accreditation to observe the referendum on the draft Constitution to be held on March 16 this year.
The Constitution making process which started over four years ago, will reach its climax next month when Zimbabweans vote on whether to adopt or reject it, New Ziana reported.
The major political parties, Zanu-PF and the two MDCs, have since agreed on the draft and will be campaigning for a Yes vote while the Committee of Parliament which spearheaded the drafting process, will roll out awareness campaigns on the new charter on Monday.
After the referendum, harmonised elections will follow to end the inclusive government formed in 2009 following an inconclusive poll in 2008.
In a statement, ZEC chief elections officer Lovemore Sekeramayi said all applications would be considered an Observer Accreditation Committee which would then recommend individuals and organisations to be accredited.
Sekeramayi said applications would be considered for individuals representing foreign countries or international organisations and foreign eminent persons and individuals representing bodies that exercise functions similar to those of the ZEC and that have been invited by the Commission.
Applications would also be considered for persons or organisations invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or of Justice and Legal Affairs.
"An application for accreditation as an observer must be made to the Chief Elections Officer by the individual or eminent person who wishes to be accredited or the organisation that wishes its representative to be accredited or the Minister responsible for Justice and Legal Affairs of the Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs in respect of individuals whom the Minister concerned has invited to observe the referendum.
The Zimbabwe government has since managed to secure funding needed to hold the referendum after the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) had indicated that it would only be able to fund the harmonised elections.
The Constitution making process which started over four years ago, will reach its climax next month when Zimbabweans vote on whether to adopt or reject it, New Ziana reported.
The major political parties, Zanu-PF and the two MDCs, have since agreed on the draft and will be campaigning for a Yes vote while the Committee of Parliament which spearheaded the drafting process, will roll out awareness campaigns on the new charter on Monday.
After the referendum, harmonised elections will follow to end the inclusive government formed in 2009 following an inconclusive poll in 2008.
In a statement, ZEC chief elections officer Lovemore Sekeramayi said all applications would be considered an Observer Accreditation Committee which would then recommend individuals and organisations to be accredited.
Sekeramayi said applications would be considered for individuals representing foreign countries or international organisations and foreign eminent persons and individuals representing bodies that exercise functions similar to those of the ZEC and that have been invited by the Commission.
Applications would also be considered for persons or organisations invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or of Justice and Legal Affairs.
"An application for accreditation as an observer must be made to the Chief Elections Officer by the individual or eminent person who wishes to be accredited or the organisation that wishes its representative to be accredited or the Minister responsible for Justice and Legal Affairs of the Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs in respect of individuals whom the Minister concerned has invited to observe the referendum.
The Zimbabwe government has since managed to secure funding needed to hold the referendum after the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) had indicated that it would only be able to fund the harmonised elections.
Source - New Ziana
