CCC demands transparent delimitation

THE main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has expressed concern that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)'s delimitation process is not consultative enough to ensure decent outcomes.

Zimbabwe does not currently have a comprehensive Delimitation Act, prompting analysts to say lack of such legislation, as well as violence and lack of transparency during the delimitation process makes it questionable.

Opposition parties have perennially accused Zec of electoral malpractices. They feel that the current delimitation exercise is aimed at paralysing any fruitful outcome to the 2023 elections.

Addressing delegates during a Twitter discussion hosted by Project Vote 263 in conjunction with the Election Resource Centre (ERC) to unpack the impact of delimitation on electoral democracy, CCC deputy secretary for elections Ellen Shiriyedenga said the party was interested in the process, and was doing all it could to plug loopholes.

"As a party, we have a keen interest in how the delimitation exercise progresses because primarily the outcome is detrimental to our performance next year," Shiriyedenga said.

"We have noticed some situational progress with regards to consultations and we have raised alarm over the way the process is being conducted, which at the end of the day if not attended to will culminate in disputed delimitation outcomes.

"There are issues over how the process is conducted. We have a situation whereby Zec just goes to districts and provinces and you can't really say they are consultative meetings; they just say how the distribution is going to be done."

Shiriyedenga said the meetings with Zec were more predetermined, affecting the party.

"They are prescriptive consultations such that our people do not have opportunities to make decisions. If delimitation is not properly conducted, what it means is you will get into an election that is already predetermined in terms of wards and constituencies which will be unfairly undistributed in favour of others."

Shiriyedenga added that as a party, they had already enacted what can be termed as delimitation delivery committees which are at both district and provincial levels to monitor the delimitation exercise.

Contacted for comment, Zec spokesperson Jasper Mangwana said:  "What do they mean? We are conducting public meetings which every stakeholder is free to attend. We are not meeting stakeholders in their individual capacities. These consultations are happening at provincial and district levels, and we have minutes of all these consultations where all parties are confirmed present."