ZEC has double standard, says Tsvangirai

Just met diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe to brief them on the situation ahead of Wednesday's decisive vote.

I told them I am relatively happy with the relative peace, although cases of intimidation continue in areas such as Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East. I personally witnessed this intimidation during my recent tours there.

There is serious concern that, six days before the vote, political parties are yet to receive the voters' roll, which we are supposed to sign as required by the law.

In fact, we are facing resistance from the Registrar General of Voters, Tobaiwa Mudede, a public servant whose conduct should be guided by the law and not personal preferences.

I drew attention to the early warning sign provided by the shambolic special voting process. It is scary that ZEC failed to handle 69 000 voters in two days but expects to efficiently process six million plus voters in a single day on 31 July.

There is also worry that allowing uniformed forces who failed to vote on 14 and 15 June to cast their ballots with the rest of the country on 31 July could result in double voting.

I am surprised by ZEC's double standards. It has shown so much appetite to ensure that all uniformed forces exercise the right to vote. Yet, the same commission opposed our court application to extend voter registration since thousands had failed to register due to inefficiencies. I am praying ZEC shows the same appetite on July 31 and fight for every single voter in the queue to vote.

As political parties contesting the elections, we have not been furnished with the number of ballot papers to be printed, the identity of the printers and the design of the ballot papers and it's only six days before the election.

Nonetheless we are entering this election with massive confidence that we will win. The people of Zimbabwe's desire for change will overcome all the manoeuvres to frustrate the prospects of a clean election.