Outlawing metal IDs for BVR registration is electoral fraud

Tobaiwa Mudede's decree that metallic National Identity Cards are not permissible for Biometric Voter Registration because they are not machine readable is not just illegal, but a sheer desperate attempt to give a lifeline to a regime that is languishing in the doldrums of political obscurity," and MDC official has said.

Ellen Shiriyedenga who is the MDC Director Planning, Strategy and Implementation said Zanu PF is a clone of treachery which uses even the dumbest excuse by an out-of-age civil servant to fraudulently win elections.

"Firstly, Mudede is usurping the responsibility of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission by making such wayward assertions. As stated in the Constitution, the compilation of the voters roll is the prerogative of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. The new constitution took this role away from his office and Mudede is now employing back door tactics to influence the electoral processes. Mudede acted as a sole proprietor by unilaterally making this appalling electoral declaration. The absence of the ZEC voice at Mudede's press conference raises serious eyebrows," she said.

"Secondly, Zimbabwean electoral laws are clear that for the purposes of voter registration and voting, a national identity card or passport can be used. Justice Rita Makarau of ZEC, is on record for even proclaiming that a Waiting Pass is also permissible. If Mudede's assertions are to be taken seriously, how then is a paper Waiting Pass machine verifiable? Mr Mudede is clearly undermining the authority of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, and for whose benefit, and for what purpose, Zimbabweans need to know."

She said thirdly, unless Mudede is being mischievous or has selective amnesia, his excuse that the metallic identity cards are not machine readable really boggles minds.

"For the record, Zimbabwe is not implementing a full biometric voting system. Biometrics will only be used for voter registration only, and identity cards will be used for physical verification of identity numbers and photographs. Only fingerprints will be scanned. Probably Mr Mudede knows something which neither the electorate nor ZEC knows about. He should tell us which machine and for what purpose will scan Identity cards during Biometric Voter Registration," she said.

"Fourthly, the timing of this announcement is just too convenient for Zanu PF treachery. Zimbabweans await the commencement of BVR registration process in October, which is 4 weeks away. Clearly this implies that Mudede is compelled to issue out new identity cards to a minimum of 3 million affected citizens who have metallic identity cards before this exercise. The irony is that, the main national registry offices including Makombe and Market Square currently do not issue more than 70 identity cards a day."

She said it will therefore require serious prophetic powers of extensive multiplication to issue identity cards to all affected people.

"A lot of people will be disenfranchised because ordinarily Mudede does not possess the technical, human nor financial resource capacity to execute such a high magnitude task within this short frame. Unless of course if ZEC postpones the BVR registration commencement disregarding the fact that it is way behind schedule and that elections are only a few months away," she said.

"Judging from history, the 2013 mobile voter registration was marred by deliberate chaos and long frustrating queues which were peculiar to urban centers only. This unpleasant situation is set to worsen and will inevitably dissuade many prospective voters from accessing the Mudede decreed identity documents."

"Fifthly, the findings of the Site Validation of BVR kits in April made no indications regarding the incompatibility of metallic identity cards. It is therefore puzzling that four months later Mudede makes this assertion, moreover unilaterally and in the absence of ZEC nor technical experts who endorsed the site validations test outcomes."

She said this shocking announcement by Mudede exacerbates conspiracy theories about his motives.

"One is persuaded to believe that this move is set to marginalize specific segments of voters, the same ploy he used to exclude the so-called alien citizens from voting. Mudede's proposed mobile citizenship registration is a mop-up exercise to ensure that the majority of targeted rural voters and Zanu PF people have been given IDs which will make it easier for him to migrate them to the voters roll," she said.

"Or rather, because BVR is set to remove ghost voters and duplications, one can be pardoned for believing and speculating that the motive is to over-inflate the voters roll by importing his civil registry database. This will in turn make it virtually impossible for the opposition to challenge the bloated and unrealistic voting patterns similar to those Zanu PF got in 2013."

"Possibly, the delay in the deployment of BVR would compel the still birth of BVR citing time constraints and envisaged early election. This will inevitably usher in Mudede's old voters roll with the residue of his Civil Registry database. Is it not a coincidence that even to date, BVR has not yet been legally gazetted? So surely in the circumstances what then can prevent the re-adoption of Mudede voters roll?"

She said Mudede's behavior is treacherous and destroys the little confidence and trust opposition political parties and the electorate have on the electoral administration system.

"This shocking announcement is not a mistake, but evidently Zimbabweans are being Nikuved again. For the sake of a credible election, this mischievous behavior by Mudede should be stopped forthwith, he must not be allowed to get away with electoral fraud ever again," she said.