BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA THE Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has written to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) demanding dialogue on the need to address alleged electoral malpractices ahead of the 2023 polls.
The opposition party accused Zec of turning a blind eye to Zanu PF’s alleged rigging tactics such as vote buying, bussing of voters and intimidation of voters in the recent by-elections.
In a letter dated July 27, 2022, addressed to Zec chief elections officer Uitloile Silaigwana, CCC secretary for elections Ian Makone accused the electoral management body of enhancing manipulation of the electoral processes by Zanu PF.
“Be that as it may, CCC has drafted the attached document citing instances where Zec through its direct and indirect conduct created election process vulnerabilities that consequently presents/present opportunities for election manipulation,” Makone said.
“CCC looks forward to your response on this matter and on the proposed dialogue process to address the stated concerns.”
CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere told NewsDay Weekender that the party would pursue various remedies, including litigation to compel Zec to address its concerns.
“The secretariat of Zec is militarised and partisan. It continues to take orders from the ‘powers that be’ instead of being independent,” Mahere said.
“Stakeholders are not being consulted sufficiently and the CCC is being excluded from the few consultations that took place. The electoral law needs to be aligned to the Constitution.
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“State media remains partial to Zanu PF. Political violence takes place with impunity. There has been no transparency on the census and delimitation processes. Voter education is highly ineffective. These issues need to be addressed to ensure we do not have another disputed election.”
Zec spokesperson Jasper Mangwana could not be reached for comment.
But Zec dismissed vote-rigging allegations against Zanu PF in the recent by-elections and demanded that disgruntled parties bring evidence of the alleged misconduct.
In May, the European Union Observer Mission (EUOM) expressed concern over the slow progress on the implementation of its electoral reform recommendations to guarantee the holding of free and fair elections.
The EUOM made 23 recommendations after the disputed 2018 elections, including the alignment of the Electoral Act to the Constitution and ensuring the independence of the Zec.
- Follow Miriam on Twitter@FloMangwaya
