The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) yesterday released a notice on the printing and distribution of ballot papers ahead of Wednesday’s general elections.
According to the notice, Msasa-based Minting and Printing Company of Zimbabwe (MPCZ) printed the ballot papers to be used in the elections.
The MPCZ printed 7 126 600 presidential ballot papers, 7 098 750 National Assembly ballot papers and 6 854 250 local authority ballot papers. There is a contingency of 7,6% on the presidential and National Assembly ballot papers while Zec has put a contingency of 3,5% on the local authority ballot papers.
In the notice, Zec published the ballot papers and books to be distributed for each polling station. Why Zec could not tell all the stakeholders that it would release the information boggles the mind.
Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) approached the courts this week for the umpteenth time to force Zec to release the information. There was no need for Zec to play a cat and mouse game with the CCC since the law binds the electoral management body to release such information.
High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi said on Thursday the case in which CCC is demanding information on ballot papers would be heard on August 21 if the opposition party was not happy with the information that Zec supplied.
By failing to inform all the stakeholders on ballot statistics, the electoral management body inadvertently put the spotlight on the elections coming on the background of concerns that the playing field was uneven.
Zec incurred unnecessary legal costs in the process.
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This spotlight on Zec comes after the elections management body said this week that some of its recommendations for the holding of a free and credible elections were rejected by the ruling Zanu PF during the amendments on the Electoral Act.
This means that the governing Zanu PF becomes the stockholder. They are the referee, assistant referee and the player in this electoral arena.
This is coming as there are concerns that the stage is set for a disputed election as all the boxes have not been ticked.
The CCC accuses Zec of failing to provide the party with an electronic voters’ roll that is analysable. The CCC is also accusing the police of blocking some of its rallies, a charge it however denies.
Zanu PF says it cannot lose the elections “because there are comrades who sacrificed their lives for the ruling party”.
Zimbabwe cannot afford to have another disputed election which comes with huge costs. That pariah status must go away. It is incumbent upon those in charge of the elections to put in place a credible system.
