The August 23 harmonised elections have already been tainted because conditions for free and fair polls do not exist, legal expert Musa Kika has said.
Kika, who is the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum executive director, expressed concern over biased policing and unequal treatment of political parties by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Speaking during an Election Resource Centre-initiated Press conference on the Openness of the Electoral Environment before the 2023 Harmonised Elections, Kika said: “The 2023 harmonised elections have already been tainted before polling. The elections have been characterised by higher levels of closed space, tilted playing field, and disbarment and exclusion of opponents.
“This has primarily been enabled by manipulation of the law and of State institutions which facilitate for free, fair and credible elections, among them the police, the electoral management body, the Judiciary and State media.
“Best efforts must go towards exploring ways to ensure that the will of the people finds expression under the current conditions, as opposed to seeking to change the conditions first.”
Kika said constitutional commissions had been playing less active roles during elections.
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“The perennial challenges of Chapter 12 institutions (commissions), which include funding deficits, capacity deficits and deliberate undermining, render these institutions virtually non-determinant and almost inconsequential in any election, 2023 is no different,” he added.