THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) yesterday said it would not allow ZimRights to observe the constitution referendum on Saturday. Reprt by Everson Mushava
The move is in defiance of a directive by President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to allow all civic organisations — including those facing charges and prosecution — to freely observe the vote.
Zec acting chairperson Joyce Kazembe said all local observers would be accredited except one organisation facing charges over a “serious offence” regarding elections, in apparent reference to ZimRights, whose boss Okay Machisa and three of the human rights body’s workers are facing charges of illegal voter registration.
“With the exception of one organisation which has been charged with a serious electoral offence, all local observer missions who have applied have been accredited,” Kazembe said.
On Tuesday, Tsvangirai said the Inclusive governement principals comprising Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, agreed in their Monday meeting that denying organisations under probe “would be contrary to the Bill of Rights and the cardinal rule of natural justice that every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty”.
Defending the commission’s decision to bar ZimRights from observing the referendum, Zec commissioner Geoff Feltoe said the commission was not aware of the principals’ order giving reprieve to such organisations.
“Zec has not been told of such an order,” Feltoe said. Despite these claims, NewsDay has a copy of a letter written by Ian Makone, chief secretary in Tsvangirai’s office, on March 12 to civic organisation Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition regarding the matter and apparently Kazembe was copied the letter.
Tsvangirai said the principals wanted the referendum to be transparent and therefore agreed that all local organisations must be allowed to observe the process. On international observers, Kazembe said all foreign observer missions based in the country would be accredited.
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This is again despite Foreign Affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi’s statement to the effect that only governments that are friendly to Zimbabwe would be allowed to observe the country’s electoral processes. Mumbengegwi last week said Zimbabwe would not invite Western countries that imposed sanctions on Mugabe and Zanu PF officials, saying they were hostile to the country. Tsvangirai reacted by saying the minister’s utterances did not represent government policy.
“Whether from planet Mars, from Canada, Australia or the European Union — or those countries that slapped the country with sanctions — we are accrediting. But they should not be coming from outside, those working in the embassies are foreign enough,” Kazembe said.
She said foreign observers should be objective and must avoid prejudging the process without backing their claims with facts on the ground.
She warned the observers to respect the laws of the country. The Zec acting boss also warned people against taking pictures using cellphones during the voting process, saying it violated the rule of the secrecy of the ballot.
“We have received reports of people taking pictures of their own ballot papers for the purpose of showing how they voted, because of fear. This will add to the intimidation where people were told there would be a camera to monitor whom they vote for. We no longer want that to happen, so use of cellphones in polling booths will not be allowed,” Kazembe said.
Kazembe said the commission would deliver a free and fair referendum despite constraints in resources. She said the commission had received $26 million from Treasury for the referendum, contradicting Finance minister Tendai Biti who said he had disbursed $31 million to the electoral body.
“According to our books, we have received $26 million,” Kazembe said. “Maybe the difference is on its way or maybe as we speak now, it is already in our account. We welcome the minister’s commitment that money will be released soon.”
