News / National
Special vote ballots found in dustbin, Zec reacts
27 Jul 2013 at 07:07hrs | Views
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai recently claimed that many ballots cast in his favour during the special vote had been discovered in a bin. No details were given as to how many such ballots had been discovered
ZEC have acknowledged that indeed the envelpes allegedly picked up in a bin are ZEC envelopes but they however are not happy with the way Mr Morgan Komichi handled the whole issue.
In a statement ZEC said,"Our investigations reveal that indeed the envelope and ballot papers were allocated to a voter whose name was recorded on the tamper-proof envelope.
"Such voter was supposed to have voted at Mt Pleasant Hall special voting centre but he did not vote on either the 14th or 15th of July 2013.
"The voter said when he presented himself to the polling officers, he was turned away as his envelope could not be located.
"The Commission wishes to register its concerns at the manner in which Mr Komichi handled this matter.
"Firstly, he took a day to bring this matter to the attention of the Commission and only did so after attaching copies of the ballot papers in his opposition to the application by the Commission in the Constitutional Court.
"Secondly, we are clear that the ballots were not marked by the voter and cannot have been marked in the polling station as the ballots do not bear the secret mark of the presiding officer of the polling station.
"Thirdly and more telling, if the ballots had been marked by the voter, they would not have remained sealed in the tamperproof envelope as this had to be broken open first by the presiding officer to retrieve the brown envelope in which the ballot papers were enclosed to give the voter.
"The story given to us by Mr Komichi is not credible and accordingly we have severe reservations regarding the details he provided to the Commission."
ZEC have acknowledged that indeed the envelpes allegedly picked up in a bin are ZEC envelopes but they however are not happy with the way Mr Morgan Komichi handled the whole issue.
In a statement ZEC said,"Our investigations reveal that indeed the envelope and ballot papers were allocated to a voter whose name was recorded on the tamper-proof envelope.
"Such voter was supposed to have voted at Mt Pleasant Hall special voting centre but he did not vote on either the 14th or 15th of July 2013.
"The voter said when he presented himself to the polling officers, he was turned away as his envelope could not be located.
"The Commission wishes to register its concerns at the manner in which Mr Komichi handled this matter.
"Firstly, he took a day to bring this matter to the attention of the Commission and only did so after attaching copies of the ballot papers in his opposition to the application by the Commission in the Constitutional Court.
"Secondly, we are clear that the ballots were not marked by the voter and cannot have been marked in the polling station as the ballots do not bear the secret mark of the presiding officer of the polling station.
"Thirdly and more telling, if the ballots had been marked by the voter, they would not have remained sealed in the tamperproof envelope as this had to be broken open first by the presiding officer to retrieve the brown envelope in which the ballot papers were enclosed to give the voter.
"The story given to us by Mr Komichi is not credible and accordingly we have severe reservations regarding the details he provided to the Commission."
Source - news
