News / Press Release
Stinking electoral amendments from an interested party
18 Sep 2017 at 16:34hrs | Views
On Friday the 15th of September the President gazetted Statutory Instrument 117 of 2017 in terms section 2 of the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Act.
He sought to amend section 24, 25 and section 36 of the Electoral Act and other minor amendments which can be interpreted to be the change of terminology in line with a specific responsibility.
The net effect of the amendment is that there will be an introduction of assisted voter registration and assisted voter transfer from one constituency to another.
Our concern is that the process is meant to instil fear on potential voters and tighten ZANUPF's coercion grip.
We are also concerned that a President who is an undisputed interested party in the concerned election cannot claim to be selflessly making such an amendment. As an interested party it raises stink to bypass parliament in passing this law.
Considering the fact that registration officers are there to provide official assistance to prospective voters we therefore suspect the hunger to introduce official assistance during voter registration.
The PDP is aware that voter assistance in Zimbabwe automatically means intimidation and capture of the voter by those who control repressive state apparatus which now and then have been weaponised against those who vote against impunity and failure.
We are of the view that the registration officers must stick to the basic responsibilities of collecting and entering the data collected from those qualified to vote.
In a country where we boast of having the highest level of education one would find the hunger to legislate assisted voter registration not only absurd but suspicious.
If there was any need to ensure those who need assistance get it voluntarily, the Electoral Commission in its power and in practice would just make operational provision to make it possible.
It is also clear that these amendments are not an emergency therefore it was not necessary to use presidential powers to pass such a law.
Zimbabwe's false start has been around the failure to hold free and fair elections whose targeted outcome would be to produce a legitimate leadership accountable to the electorate.
We are therefore worried of a pattern which involves a President who is an interested party dubiously involved in the process of determining how an election must be run.
The PDP makes the point that when an electoral commission cannot run an election independently, there is no point injecting state resources in such a sham.
The amendments must be treated with the contempt they deserve including challenging them in the courts of law.
Together Another Zimbabwe is Possible
He sought to amend section 24, 25 and section 36 of the Electoral Act and other minor amendments which can be interpreted to be the change of terminology in line with a specific responsibility.
The net effect of the amendment is that there will be an introduction of assisted voter registration and assisted voter transfer from one constituency to another.
Our concern is that the process is meant to instil fear on potential voters and tighten ZANUPF's coercion grip.
We are also concerned that a President who is an undisputed interested party in the concerned election cannot claim to be selflessly making such an amendment. As an interested party it raises stink to bypass parliament in passing this law.
Considering the fact that registration officers are there to provide official assistance to prospective voters we therefore suspect the hunger to introduce official assistance during voter registration.
The PDP is aware that voter assistance in Zimbabwe automatically means intimidation and capture of the voter by those who control repressive state apparatus which now and then have been weaponised against those who vote against impunity and failure.
In a country where we boast of having the highest level of education one would find the hunger to legislate assisted voter registration not only absurd but suspicious.
If there was any need to ensure those who need assistance get it voluntarily, the Electoral Commission in its power and in practice would just make operational provision to make it possible.
It is also clear that these amendments are not an emergency therefore it was not necessary to use presidential powers to pass such a law.
Zimbabwe's false start has been around the failure to hold free and fair elections whose targeted outcome would be to produce a legitimate leadership accountable to the electorate.
We are therefore worried of a pattern which involves a President who is an interested party dubiously involved in the process of determining how an election must be run.
The PDP makes the point that when an electoral commission cannot run an election independently, there is no point injecting state resources in such a sham.
The amendments must be treated with the contempt they deserve including challenging them in the courts of law.
Together Another Zimbabwe is Possible
Source - Jacob Mafume, PDP Spokesperson
