Opposition parties rekindle push for electoral reforms

OPPOSITION political parties have stepped up their push for the Zanu-PF-led government to speed up implementation of electoral reforms including allowing Diaspora votes ahead of the watershed 2018 general elections.

But the ruling party has on numerous occasions scoffed at the demand for electoral reforms, claiming the agenda was foreign-sponsored to effect regime change.

People's Democratic Party leader, Tendai Biti, told NewsDay at the weekend they would pursue various channels, including taking government to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) to force it to implement the reforms.

"By now, a constitutional application ought to have been made to assert this right. We should be doing this now," he said.

The opposition parties through their New Electoral Reform Agenda, also want the estimated three million Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to be allowed to vote through a postal ballot system.

MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu, said a sustained push for electoral reforms was critical to ensuring undisputed election results.

"All indications are that the Zanu-PF regime will not agree to electoral reforms without sustained and massive pressure

and it's clear that without reforms, 2018 vote will be a farce," he said.

Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) secretariat should not be linked to the military or Central Intelligence Organisation, but should be independent and professional.

"We need professional people handling the elections, it's time all the people from the military and State security get out of election management," ZimPF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo said.

Other reforms being sought by opposition parties are the opening up of State media to all political players, transparency in the handling of the voters' roll and its availability in electronic form to all political parties.

They also want Zec to adopt a biometric national voters' registration exercise to allow all eligible voters to freely register.