She said the disputes witnessed during election cycles can
be avoided if political parties and stakeholders agree in advance to change
laws or effect the desired reforms that govern elections.
“The differences we have as stakeholders on the electoral
process in Zimbabwe are perpetuated by our failure to correctly diagnose the
problems in order to prescribe effective solutions.
“It is at forums such as these at which stakeholders must
exhaust deliberations on their expectations of how elections should be
conducted. The purpose of this review workshop is therefore not to point
fingers at one another, but to brainstorm and come out with proposals on how we
should reform our processes so that they meet the expectations of the majority
of stakeholders.”
She was speaking welcoming delegates to the 2023
post-election review conference in Nyanga.
Elections are conducted in terms of a given legal framework
promulgated by the legislature and ZEC had no business bending the law but had
to uphold the same framework in line with the constitutional dictates of the
country, said Justice Chigumba.
“Electoral change can only be referred to as reform if its
primary goal is to improve electoral processes, for example, through fostering
enhanced impartiality, inclusiveness, transparency, integrity or accuracy.
“In deliberations, we must also pay due regard to the fact
that some changes may be characterised as desirable or even necessary reforms
by their proponents, but as improper manipulation by their opponents. Random
and frequent electoral change, while it may be reformist, can also be confusing
to voters and thus defeat its purpose.
“Frequent change may also negatively affect the
sustainability of elections management board operations,” said Justice
Chigumba.
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