They also interrogated the recently gazetted Independent
Mechanism Complaints Process Bill.
All 18 political parties were represented at the meeting
that was attended by technical partners from the Zimbabwe Electoral Support
Network (Zesn).
Zanu PF representative Cde Paul Mangwana said POLAD members
were agreeable to most of the proposals.
“We are looking at the whole election management system,
interrogating the proposal from Zesn,” said Cde Mangwana.
“There are areas where we are agreeing; some areas need
further consultations within our political parties and there are also areas
where we do not agree.
“We are looking at areas where we can have consensus and
then make a joint proposal to the Electoral Act”.
He said there was a need to improve transparency of the
electoral process. “When vote counting is taking place political party agents
must be there so that they can all agree on the outcome.
“But there are areas which we think they have gone a bit
too far. For example, Government should play a role when it comes to the
invitation of foreign election observers.
“We have disagreed with the proposal in which they say ZEC
should approve the foreign observers who come into the country.
“We said no, this is a security matter and the State must
play a key role in admitting or denying them entry into the country,” said Cde
Mangwana.
He said most of the proposals by the civil society were
progressive. National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) president Professor
Lovemore Madhuku said deliberations on electoral and political reforms were
meant to ensure an improved environment by 2023.
“We are going through the whole Electoral Act and all other
laws that are related to elections, proposing the reforms that we would want to
see.
“For example, we have already agreed that blind voters can
use braille and must no longer be called assisted voters. We should have
braille ballots that are accessible by blind voters.”
People’s Rainbow Coalition (PRC) president Lucia Matibenga
said the proposed electoral and political reforms were meant to ensure that the
2023 elections outcome is undisputed.
“A disputed election has negative effects on the country.
When noise is coming from inside our country, it gives a picture out there of a
country that is in turmoil, a country in dispute with itself.” Sunday Mail
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