Harare,Zimbabwe (News of the South)-Zimbabwe’s political environment has been diagnosed as lacking in trust towards those tasked with overseeing and running systematic programmes such as elections and referendums, a paranoia which has made the field burdensome.
Analysts say the political polarity in the country has resulted in subjective analysis of issues and in the end placed the spotlight on the wrong topics and personnel as the country slowly draws near the 2018 elections.
These views were expressed during an Election Resource Centre (ERC) Stakeholder Consultation event in Harare where the organisation also launched its election barometer.
Among some of the personnel at the event were Zanu PF’s Fortune Chasi, Kurauone Chihwayi of MDC, Jessi Majome of MDC-T, People’s Democratic Party Settlement Chikwinya, Henry Chimbiri and many other civic organisation leaders.
Speaking at the event Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson Rita Makarau said there is need to create trust between political parties and ZEC saying its absence was creating challenges that were impinging upon the delivery of duty.
“Lack of trust is the biggest challenge that we will have to overcome one way or another as it is its absence that has brought us to where we are today”.
“How many of us can tell who is in charge of elections in the UK? We can’t say because over there it’s the matters that are debated that matter and not the personality of the person leading the running of elections”, she said.
However some queried the way ZEC has been running its operations as the biggest reason for the dearth in trust between the electoral organ and political parties.
Some even queried the continued selection of personnel such as Joyce Kazembe who have been involved in elections for nearly 20 years.
Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe president Elton Mangoma cited the unilateral selection of the biometric voting system as one example of shady dealings by ZEC which creates mistrust.
“We were there when ZEC was discussing the different voting systems but never endorsed the biometric system yet we later heard that it had been chosen, that way of operating destroys trust between us because we will wonder why you chose it without consulations”, he said.
ZEC has since committed itself to running the 2018 elections using a biometric voting system which will cost US$55 million citing the curbing of double voting and removal of dead people from the voter’s roll as some of the positive aspects in choosing the method.
Whilst most parties have previously supported the move, many have expressed reservations at the organisation’s ability to get the necessary funding in time not only because government is under a severe economic stress but because it has refused non-governmental funding for the initiative.
Politicians have also condemned ZEC’s inability to deal with the context in which elections are held as it restricts itself to dealing with administrative issues only.
Speaking on the sidelines Settlement Chikwinya said there was a danger Zimbabwean elections would become a political ritual whilst being a democratic nullity.
“The current reforms we have seen from ZEC are focused on the legitimacy of the ballot but the processes leading to that are actually influencing the ballot yet nothing is being done about them and this will result in elections without democracy”.
“We have traditional leaders who operate as extra-legals, creating a climate of fear and intimidation and it is the duty of ZEC to deal with that as the traditional leaders fall under ZEC as voters”, he said.
ZEC has promised to look into the issue of traditional leaders who have been previously reported to be agents of the ruling ZABU PF, hounding their subjects into voting for the party through coercions and threats.
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