THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has been accused of illegally moving 170 000 voters from their original constituencies and wards in the voters roll to be used for the March 26 by-elections in a move which activists say could affect the credibility of the polls.
Activists, Team Pachedu, which has been analysing the
voters roll for the by-elections in comparison with the one used in the 2018
polls, expressed concern over the anomalies, saying Zec was illegally changing
electoral boundaries without notifying voters as stipulated by the law, a move
which critics say would disenfranchise voters.
Team Pachedu said a total of 170 867 addresses that were in
the 2018 voters roll have been edited by Zec between 2018 and 2022, with Glen
View South having the highest number of edited addresses (19 758), followed by
Mangwe, Lupane East, Zaka East, Luveve, Kuwadzana and Chiredzi North.
“Zec has also moved many people from Glen View South
constituency to Harare South constituency. The mass movement of voters across
constituencies and wards when addresses have not changed implies that Zec is
illegally changing electoral boundaries,” Team Pachedu said on Twitter.
“One typical illegal movement involves hundreds of voters
from Zvimba East to Glen View South (Chirangano Car Park Tent).
“For multiple voters in Chitungwiza South constituency, Zec
has changed their former 2018 wards, yet their residential addresses have not
changed at all. Who did Zec inform before making these sweeping changes in
wards as required by the law?
“After the 2018 elections, Zec created new polling stations
and some of them are 6301HRE2807 C, Glen Norah (728 voters), 6301HRE3103 C,
Glenview South (671 voters), 6301HRE3202 C, Glen View South (669 voters) and
5801KWE1402 C, Kwekwe Central (669) without informing anyone as required by the
law.”
Chief elections officer, Utoile Silaigwana yesterday told
NewsDay that citizens or organisations affected by the changes should approach
Zec district offices.
“Can we see the claims because we haven’t received any
complaints to date? You are very aware that the voter registration exercise is
still underway, and so we can only have the correct information when it has
been completed,” Silaigwana said.
On its official Twitter handle, Zec stated: “Polling
stations are allocated according to proof of residence furnished by the voter.
A voter has an option to transfer his/her registration to an area of preference
provided they submit the requisite documents.”
Zimbabwe Election Support Network board chairperson Andrew
Makoni said the trends were worrying as it could disenfranchise voters.
“Yes, it disfranchises voters as many will fail to vote
because their wards have changed. Only Zec can provide the reasons why some
voters may have been moved from one constituency to the other, and in this case
from Glen View to Harare South as alleged.
“However, it is possible for a voter to change his ward or
constituency if, for example, they migrate from one ward or constituency. In
that case, it is the voter who approaches Zec seeking a transfer. Zec cannot do
so on its own.”
Elections Resource Centre programmes manager Solomon
Bobosibunu said: “We are in the process of analysing the voters roll and will
shortly be able to comment on the alleged movement.
“On the overall, registered voters cannot be changed
without their consent. There must be an explanation as to why those changes
were effected without the knowledge of the voters. If these are true, they
damage the credibility of the voters roll and ultimately the outcome of the
election.”
Citizens Coalition for Change treasurer-general David
Coltart said the anomalies in the voters roll were not surprising as it was
clear that it was creating a pathway for rigging of elections.
He said there was need for Zec to be independent and free
from the ruling Zanu PF party and military control such that it retains the
ability to carry out its electoral mandate as a national body.
“I am not surprised. The reason Zanu PF was happy to have
by-elections now was because it knows the results are easier to manipulate.
Through its proxies in Zec, they can manipulate the voters roll to ‘import’
voters from constituencies which do not have an election to those which do,”
Coltart said.
“On election day, it is easy to bus those voters in because
there won’t be observers. So if discrepancies are found, it will be part of
this grand scheme to subvert the will of the electorate in the coming
by-elections.” Newsday
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