More than 18 000 people had applied for postal votes. Those
who qualify include members of the disciplined forces, electoral officers,
diplomatic and consular officials working outside the country and their spouses.
However, ongoing election-related court cases have delayed
the dispatch of voting materials after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)
suspended printing of ballot papers that will be used for the Presidential
election as well as in more than a dozen National Assembly elections.
Last week, Government gazetted Statutory Instrument 140A of
2023, which extended the deadline for the submission of postal voting materials
to ZEC from August 9 to August 20 as a result of delays occasioned by the court
cases. ZEC chief elections officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana yesterday said: “The
commission is yet to dispatch postal ballots to successful applicants as the
commission has been unable to print ballot papers in areas where there are
court cases and appeals arising from the nomination outcome.
There are 17 483 successful applicants eligible to vote by
post.”
Postal voting is provided for under Section 71 of the
Electoral Act, which states that registered voters who will be unable to vote
at their polling stations on election day because they will be on official duty
are eligible for postal voting.
The process is open to those who apply not more than 14
days after sitting of the Nomination Court. Successful applicants receive their
voting material in advance and will be required to send their votes in sealed
envelopes to the chief elections officer, who will then distribute postal votes
to their respective constituencies.
The postal votes are later dispatched to their respective
stations. They are only opened for counting on the day of the election, when
counting of votes cast on polling day commences. Added Mr Silaigwana: “Section
75(1)(d) of the Electoral Act has been amended by Statutory Instrument 140A of
2023, which has altered the minimum period in which the chief elections officer
must receive postal votes from a minimum of 14 days from polling to a minimum
of three days before polling.
This means that the deadline for receipt of ballot papers
by the chief elections officer (CEO) is now August 20, 2023, and not August 9,
2023.”
A court application filed last week by a presidential
aspirant challenging his exclusion from contesting the election, he said, had
stalled printing of ballot papers for the poll. Mr Saviour Kasukuwere filed an
application at the Constitutional Court seeking an order to quash a ruling by
the Supreme Court that upheld a High Court order nullifying his nomination to
run as a presidential candidate.
Also, opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)
has approached the Supreme Court seeking an order to bar more than a dozen
candidates that were cleared by the Nomination Court to contest under the
party’s name.
“The printing of Presidential ballot papers has been
stalled until the finalisation of a pending appeal by one of the disqualified
presidential candidates. Printing of ballot papers for the National Assembly is
almost complete save for areas where Nomination Court petitions have not been
concluded.
The commission will advise of the printing timelines soon
after the conclusion of outstanding appeal, which is currently before the
courts.”
He said all was set for elections to choose the president
and deputy president of the National Chiefs Council, which are scheduled for
Thursday.
“Preparations for the elections of the president and deputy
president of the National Council of Chiefs are on course.
“The 36 members of the Council of Chiefs elected on August
3, 2023 will form the electoral college for elections of the president and the
deputy president of the Council of Chiefs.” Sunday Mail
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