Tinashe Sambiri|The Citizens’ Coalition For Change says Zimbabwe Electoral Commission( ZEC) does not have the capacity to conduct free and fair polls.

ZEC is accused of working with the former revolutionary party Zanu PF to rig elections.

In a statement on Friday, CCC demanded immediate constitutional and electoral reforms.

Read full statement:

ELECTION WATCH UPDATE – 13 APRIL 2022

The Citizens’ Coalition for Change is currently seized with handling a plethora of reports on electoral malpractices and unlawful conduct by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and ZANU PF in the lead up to and during the by-elections that were held on the 26th of March 2022.

Section 155 of the Constitution requires that elections be free and fair. That same section provides that elections must be free from violence and other electoral malpractices.

Section 156 additionally requires voting methods to be simple, accurate, verifiable, secure and transparent.

In terms of this provision, ZEC has an obligation to ensure that appropriate systems and mechanisms are put in place to eliminate electoral violence, and electoral malpractices and to ensure the safekeeping of electoral materials.

Following in-depth investigations and pursuant to taking legal advice following the 26 March byelection, the CCC is of the view that the conduct of ZEC hitherto falls desperately short of the mandatory constitutional standards and there have been numerous violations of the Electoral Law.

In response to this regrettable state of affairs, the movement is exploring (and in appropriate cases has already undertaken) legal, political and civic mechanisms to engage ZEC and hold them to account to avoid a repeat of these malpractices in the landmark 2023 general election.

Our demand is that ZEC conducts itself constitutionally, professionally and in a non-partisan manner.

As highlighted consistently by our Change Champion in Chief, President Nelson Chamisa, the Electoral Reform Agenda is our topmost priority for 2022. We demand reform on 7 key issues:

1. We demand respect for the right to vote including implementation of the diaspora vote. The right to vote must be facilitated by making voter registration accessible, simple and verifiable.
2. We demand a credible voters’ roll.
3. We demand security of polling material.
4. We demand security of the vote and the voter-dispute mechanisms, polling staff must be credible and independent.
5. We demand transitional mechanisms.
6. We demand a credible results management system,
7. We demand media reforms.

Finally, more work needs to be done by ZEC to ensure that the voter registration process is simplified, made more accessible and that first-time voters have smooth access to ID documents.

This is the only way that ZEC can comply with the constitutional imperative established in s155 of the Constitution that elections must be based on universal adult suffrage.

We call on all citizens to ensure that they are registered to vote so that we win Zimbabwe for change in 2023.

Fadzayi Mahere
National Spokesperson