The Election Management Body
The current Election Management Body, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission ZEC), has in the past elections shown its inability to be impartial and wholly independent.
ZEC is by far the reason why free and fair elections have never been part of Zimbabwe’s post - independence history.
ZEC is not independent, and has been at the centre of all the electoral processes in Zimbabwe. It is manned by personalities and characters whose sole function is to reproduce and retain the status quo.
Apart from ZEC being an extension of ZANU PF, it is also grossly incompetent and unable to carry out its mandate. The shocking manner in which it handled the special vote of July 2013 is a minute reflection of its craft incompetence.
The MDC Alliance thus calls for an overhaul of the Electoral management body.
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Full disclosure and transparency around the ballot paper, its technical status, its printing and its distribution thereof.
The Electoral Act must provide for a transparent, reasonable and democratic way of handling of Election material in line with the principles set out in the constitution. In the 2013 election the Electoral Commission did not best handle the issue of election material especially the ingenuity displayed in the handling of ballot papers.
A total of 8.7 million ballot papers were printed out of less than 6.4 million actual registered voters. ZEC did not give any justification of such a huge discrepancy. Given the polling station based voters roll, by the time nomination court sits specific numbers of registered are known for polling stations therefore extra ballot papers must not be unreasonable in the coming election because there will not be logistical surprises.
In the 2013 election selection of the printer of the election material was controversial, the names of the printers kept changing and it even included shocking revelations of the police being given the responsibility to put official marks on ballot papers printed by a different printer.
The MDC Alliance demands that the Electoral Act provide for a mandatory publishing of a printer contracted based on legal, tender procedures.
Provisions of the ACT must also ensure an inclusive platform of all stakeholders to monitor procurement, storage, counting, dispatching and use of all election material which includes, ballot papers, ballot boxes, indelible ink, voting pens and all polling station material, at any and all stages of the election.
The MDC Alliance also demands that there be election material auditors of at least three independent auditing firms at each stage that involves election material, procurement, storage, counting, dispatch and use, right up to after the announcement of election results to ensure that every piece of material particularly the ballot papers, are accounted for and their use verified by other independent and apolitical people other than the one Electoral Management body.
The creation of an authentic biometric voters’ roll properly audited and signed off by all stakeholders.
The last election was highly disputed around issues of the voters roll. The current BVR process which is supposed to be a gain and milestone towards electoral sustainability has been shrouded in controversy.
Contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act, the actual Voter’s Roll and its compilation is shrouded in secrecy. ZEC always explains in a one paragraph press statement when pressure mounts around an allegation from the citizens, this is not good enough.
The MDC Alliance demands creation of an authentic biometric voters’ roll properly audited and signed off by all stakeholders.
There is need for an independent public audit of the procurement processes so far if positive results are obtained then it builds confidence if negative results are obtained then anomalies must be corrected, another dispute around the voters’ roll is unnecessary.
ZEC must be transparent with the issue of how it is handling BVR data storage and how the servers are secured.
It is also essential to avail full information of the servers’ procurement and the contractor given the tender must fully disclose the dates of purchase and the manufacturing country to enable any interested Zimbabwean to make follow up investigation of foul play.
But more importantly the Voters’ roll inspection exercise must be adequate; this is the only available window to note anomalies of double registrations and non-appearance of names of registered voters which happened in the previous election.
Media reforms allowing for equal access to public media by all contenders in the election.
The MDC Alliance calls for the immediate opening up of the public media, which is long overdue.
All political parties, civic society and other organizations must have immediate access to the National Public Broadcaster, the ZBC, and the radio stations in the country. All political parties have the right to have their content aired on public stations. In the same manner, they should be allowed interviews and other airtime in both the television and radio stations in the country.
The MDC Alliance further demands that State newspapers and reporters report news in a professional and impartial manner, bias against the opposition and for ZANU PF will not ensure any electoral credibility no matter when the election is held.
The State should immediately grant the setting up of independent print and electronic media stations as well as radio and television stations. This will ensure access to information to the people of Zimbabwe and dilute the three decades of the media bias that has prevailed in Zimbabwe.
The MDC Alliance calls upon the State to protect the freedoms of the people of Zimbabwe, politicians and non–politicians alike. The freedom of speech, freedom of choice, freedom of association must be protected. Safety of one after exercising her freedoms must also be guaranteed.
Provision for Zimbabweans residing in the Diaspora to vote in the election.
Section 67 of the Zimbabwean constitution provides that every Zimbabwean citizen has the right to make political choices freely and to participate in peaceful political activity.
The section further guarantees that every Zimbabwean citizen above the age of 18 years has the right to vote in all elections and referendums. The MDC Alliance thus demands that Zimbabweans in the Zimbabwean diaspora should be allowed to vote in the next general election.
The election Management body under it must thus, put sufficient mechanisms of ensuring that the diaspora vote is held in a transparent manner that avoids any loopholes and electoral fraud.
The complete de-securitisation of election institutions and the electoral process, incorporating the exclusion of Zimbabwe’s security sector from managing the incumbent ZANU PF’s election campaign.
The 2018 election will not pass the test of international standards unless, it deals decisively with issues of reforms.
In 2002 the Zimbabwe Defence Forces led by General Zvinavashe declared that they will never respect an electoral outcome other than that which produces a winner who participated in the liberation struggle.
This statement was repeated by other senior members of the security of security forces.
In 2008 the members of the security forces played a pervasive role that prevented the leader of the opposition from assuming office after winning elections. The actions by the military in November 2017 thus make a case for genuine legal, institutional and political reforms around the security sector.
These reforms will ensure that only the people of Zimbabwe have the right to choose those who run the country. Put simply, the agenda of the 2018 election must be to ensure the country returns to legitimacy and more importantly that the electorate not the selectorate chooses the next government.
The enactment of major amendments to the Electoral Law and the repealing of restrictive laws such as: the Public Order Security Act (POSA); Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA); and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA)
Obligation to comply with international standards
Zimbabwe has an obligation to fully comply with international standards and protocols regulating elections. Chief among these international standards is the Southern African Development Community (SADC) guidelines on elections adopted in Mauritius in August 2006.
The SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation provides for the promotion of democratic institutions and practices within the territories of State Parties and encourage the observance of universal human rights as provided for in the Charter and Conventions of the African Union and the United Nations.
Secondly Zimbabwe must fully comply with the terms of the recently ratified African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance.
These international standards are meant to ensure full participation of citizens in political processes, freedom of association, political tolerance, equal access to the state medial by all political parties, the right to vote and to be voted for, acceptance and respect of election results by political parties proclaimed to have been free and fair.
Reports by observer missions in previous elections reflected a failure to comply with these standards, the 2018 election must be different.
