ZEC aborts political parties meeting

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) aborted a planned meeting with political parties at its headquarters in Harare this Tuesday morning following media reports that the electoral body wants to intimidate the parties against an intended demonstration.

ZEC has been holding meetings with the various political parties with the intention of sharing notes and clarifying issues pertaining to electoral issues, but media reports attributed to the political parties said a panicking state machinery had called the meeting to try and stop their demo.

ZEC chairperson Justice Rita Makarau said the political parties forum had nothing to do with their planned demonstration and that ZEC is a state institution and not what the parties were calling state machinery.

She explained that the electoral body was intending to explain issues surrounding the acquisition of biometric registration equipment and the recent development where government has availed the funding to acquire the equipment.

"ZEC is willing to engage the political parties but is willing to do so on the basis of mutual respect and honest," said Justice Makarau.

Previously the United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP) had offered to chip in and assist government but the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has since mobilised the funding.

Justice Makarau explained that the coming on board of government in the acquisition of the biometric registration equipment will not in any way affect the procurement process.

In the constitution of Zimbabwe under the Zimbabwe Electoral Act, it is the duty of government to pay and resource the electoral body, ZEC.