News / National
ZEC opens voters roll for inspection by electorate
23 May 2023 at 16:17hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has announced the opening of the voters' roll inspection period set to run from May 27 to 31, 2023.
The exercise is one of the processes that shall pave way for this year's harmonised elections.
In a notice, ZEC chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana said a total of 11,289 inspection centres would be set up in all the country's 10 provinces for the crucial exercise.
Midlands province has the highest number of inspection centres with 1,594 while Bulawayo Metropolitan has 275.
Silaigwana urged those who registered to vote in the country's poll process, on or before April 28 this year, to inspect the voters' roll.
"Those who registered, on or before 28 April 2023, are encouraged to inspect the voters' roll at their ordinary polling stations which have been designated as inspection centres for purposes of this voters' roll inspection exercise," Silaigwana said.
He said voters who do not see their names at the inspection centres can either inspect their details using their mobile phones USSD code *265# for Netone and Econet subscribers or approach Provincial Elections Officers for clarification.
Zimbabwe has over 5.8 million registered voters who are expected to cast their ballots in the forthcoming harmonized elections which are due in August this year.
President Mnangagwa has not yet proclaimed a date for the much-awaited poll but observers say the Zimbabwe incumbent is enjoined by the national constitution to do so end of this month, at the very latest.
But according to Veritas, a parliamentary and legal watchdog, the election date cannot be gazetted in May as amendments to the Electoral law have not yet been completed.
"Developments on that Bill in Parliament on Thursday 18th May have rendered it constitutionally impossible for the proclamation to be gazetted in May," says the thinktank.
"On Thursday 18th May, the Bill was given its Second Reading.
"The Committee Stage was still in progress, amendments having been made, when just after midnight, a halt was called after a marathon sitting.
"The National Assembly then adjourned until Tuesday 30th May Even if Parliament manages to complete the Electoral Amendment Bill on the 30th and 31st May, there is no possibility that the Bill can become law before a date in June.
"The President will have to wait before having the election proclamation gazetted.
"He has at least until the end of June to gazette it while still remaining in compliance with section 38 of the Electoral Act."
The exercise is one of the processes that shall pave way for this year's harmonised elections.
In a notice, ZEC chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana said a total of 11,289 inspection centres would be set up in all the country's 10 provinces for the crucial exercise.
Midlands province has the highest number of inspection centres with 1,594 while Bulawayo Metropolitan has 275.
Silaigwana urged those who registered to vote in the country's poll process, on or before April 28 this year, to inspect the voters' roll.
"Those who registered, on or before 28 April 2023, are encouraged to inspect the voters' roll at their ordinary polling stations which have been designated as inspection centres for purposes of this voters' roll inspection exercise," Silaigwana said.
He said voters who do not see their names at the inspection centres can either inspect their details using their mobile phones USSD code *265# for Netone and Econet subscribers or approach Provincial Elections Officers for clarification.
Zimbabwe has over 5.8 million registered voters who are expected to cast their ballots in the forthcoming harmonized elections which are due in August this year.
But according to Veritas, a parliamentary and legal watchdog, the election date cannot be gazetted in May as amendments to the Electoral law have not yet been completed.
"Developments on that Bill in Parliament on Thursday 18th May have rendered it constitutionally impossible for the proclamation to be gazetted in May," says the thinktank.
"On Thursday 18th May, the Bill was given its Second Reading.
"The Committee Stage was still in progress, amendments having been made, when just after midnight, a halt was called after a marathon sitting.
"The National Assembly then adjourned until Tuesday 30th May Even if Parliament manages to complete the Electoral Amendment Bill on the 30th and 31st May, there is no possibility that the Bill can become law before a date in June.
"The President will have to wait before having the election proclamation gazetted.
"He has at least until the end of June to gazette it while still remaining in compliance with section 38 of the Electoral Act."
Source - zimlive
