News / Local
Zanu-PF bigwi slams CCC over ballot printing demand
03 Aug 2023 at 06:43hrs | Views
Zanu-PF Deputy Secretary for Legal Affairs and Mazowe South legislator, Fortune Chasi has slammed the opposition CCC for making bizarre and unreasonable demands such as wanting to witness the printing of ballot papers, something unprecedented globally.
The opposition has in the past demanded during multiparty liaison committee meetings to be present during printing of ballot papers, arguing that it will allay fears of ballot stuffing.
In 2018, legislators across the political divide were taken to the printers by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission were the processes were explained.
Speaking during a Star FM radio current affairs programme "Muriro on Monday" Chasi said such demands were preposterous.
"One of the things that I learnt was that regrettably some of the requests and demands (by the opposition) were unreasonable. If you recall there was a demand that the printing process must be done in the presence of political parties. That has never happened. I was in Geneva last year with colleagues from other political parties. People from other countries actually laughed off at that request," said Chasi. He said the Second Republic has been magnanimous with the opposition and civic society through engagement to narrow differences. We found each other on the electoral reforms but democracy is not time bound, it is a continuous process. We must continue to engage each other and continue to make the electoral legal framework the best that it can be at any particular time.
"We will be very happy to continue with the discussions around improving the electoral framework. Alignment has been a key and thorny issue. It is an urgent matter that is why in the last amendment to the electoral law we took it very seriously," he said.
Chasi defended the whipping system of legislators in Parliament saying any member of a political party should be bound by its rules. Under the whipping system legislators are asked to vote on any division or motion in accordance with the agreed stand of their political parties.
He was responding to assertions by his co-guest and Mutare Central MP, Mr Innocent Gonese of CCC, who felt that whipping system was stifled democracy and stifled open debate.
"Whipping is not inimical to democracy. When one joins a political party you consider that you are bound by decision made by that organisation. Even at a company, you discuss and a position is taken and you are bound by that decision. If I want to have my own view and project it, the option must be to become an independent candidate. I think it becomes problematic if within the party structure there is no opportunity for somebody to speak their mind. In Zanu-PF, if there is something to be determined, we congregate, discuss and debate and we take a composite position and that position is that which will be taken to Parliament," he said.
Earlier, Mr Gonese explained his views. "It's inimical to democracy. The problem we have is Section 129 (of the Constitution) that allows a political party to recall an MP without any set criteria. It was introduced in the 1980s to deal with a certain situation.
"Whipping is always necessary and is there all over in the world. But if political parties are allowed to recall Members willy nilly it can be used to stifle debate. The law on recall needs a specific provision that allow the electorate to be involved. The process must start with a petition, a certain percentage signing and there must be reasons for doing so, elaborate reasons and give ZEC powers to investigate to establish if there is merit," said Mr Gonese.
Chasi slammed CCC attempts to apportion blame on Zanu-PF for the CCC failure to submit nomination papers for 12 candidates in Bulawayo. The High Court has since nullified their nomination as candidates.
"The law is very clear. It's 4pm deadline. I will just give free advice to other political parties as to what as we Zanu-PF do. We take these processes seriously, weeks before nomination day we begin using our structure, our district coordinating committees go through CVs of people of candidates who intend to be nominated.
"We cross check everything that include previous convictions and any other impediments. Our provincial chairmen will have all the information. They sleep at the nomination court and make sure that every candidate is there, that is the level of our organisation," said Chasi.
"When you leave nomination to the last minute you put yourself in a difficult position as what the Bulawayo 12 found themselves in. It has nothing to do with political chicanery. We have a decentralised structure where specific instructions are given to our structures to make sure that by such such a date nomination papers are completed and reports are sent to our headquarters, where if there is a problem we catch it while there is time."
The opposition has in the past demanded during multiparty liaison committee meetings to be present during printing of ballot papers, arguing that it will allay fears of ballot stuffing.
In 2018, legislators across the political divide were taken to the printers by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission were the processes were explained.
Speaking during a Star FM radio current affairs programme "Muriro on Monday" Chasi said such demands were preposterous.
"One of the things that I learnt was that regrettably some of the requests and demands (by the opposition) were unreasonable. If you recall there was a demand that the printing process must be done in the presence of political parties. That has never happened. I was in Geneva last year with colleagues from other political parties. People from other countries actually laughed off at that request," said Chasi. He said the Second Republic has been magnanimous with the opposition and civic society through engagement to narrow differences. We found each other on the electoral reforms but democracy is not time bound, it is a continuous process. We must continue to engage each other and continue to make the electoral legal framework the best that it can be at any particular time.
"We will be very happy to continue with the discussions around improving the electoral framework. Alignment has been a key and thorny issue. It is an urgent matter that is why in the last amendment to the electoral law we took it very seriously," he said.
Chasi defended the whipping system of legislators in Parliament saying any member of a political party should be bound by its rules. Under the whipping system legislators are asked to vote on any division or motion in accordance with the agreed stand of their political parties.
"Whipping is not inimical to democracy. When one joins a political party you consider that you are bound by decision made by that organisation. Even at a company, you discuss and a position is taken and you are bound by that decision. If I want to have my own view and project it, the option must be to become an independent candidate. I think it becomes problematic if within the party structure there is no opportunity for somebody to speak their mind. In Zanu-PF, if there is something to be determined, we congregate, discuss and debate and we take a composite position and that position is that which will be taken to Parliament," he said.
Earlier, Mr Gonese explained his views. "It's inimical to democracy. The problem we have is Section 129 (of the Constitution) that allows a political party to recall an MP without any set criteria. It was introduced in the 1980s to deal with a certain situation.
"Whipping is always necessary and is there all over in the world. But if political parties are allowed to recall Members willy nilly it can be used to stifle debate. The law on recall needs a specific provision that allow the electorate to be involved. The process must start with a petition, a certain percentage signing and there must be reasons for doing so, elaborate reasons and give ZEC powers to investigate to establish if there is merit," said Mr Gonese.
Chasi slammed CCC attempts to apportion blame on Zanu-PF for the CCC failure to submit nomination papers for 12 candidates in Bulawayo. The High Court has since nullified their nomination as candidates.
"The law is very clear. It's 4pm deadline. I will just give free advice to other political parties as to what as we Zanu-PF do. We take these processes seriously, weeks before nomination day we begin using our structure, our district coordinating committees go through CVs of people of candidates who intend to be nominated.
"We cross check everything that include previous convictions and any other impediments. Our provincial chairmen will have all the information. They sleep at the nomination court and make sure that every candidate is there, that is the level of our organisation," said Chasi.
"When you leave nomination to the last minute you put yourself in a difficult position as what the Bulawayo 12 found themselves in. It has nothing to do with political chicanery. We have a decentralised structure where specific instructions are given to our structures to make sure that by such such a date nomination papers are completed and reports are sent to our headquarters, where if there is a problem we catch it while there is time."
Source - The Herald
