Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa says despite winning the majority of parliamentary seats and local authorities in the just ended by-elections, his party will continue to push for electoral reforms ahead of 2023 harmonized elections.
Addressing the media in Harare today, Chamisa said there is need for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to improve and implement electoral reforms.
“We had problems with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) around issues to do with the voters roll, we still have the problems. Yes we have had a landslide but that does not move away from the fact that the elections in this country need fundamental reforms around the voters roll, the credibility of the voters roll, around making sure that results are managed in a better way and polling stations are not subjected to the violence, intimidation that we have seen.
“Zanu PF people do not believe in free vote they do not believe in the liberation agenda they do not believe that citizens have got a right to demonstrate their will and express themselves in a free and fair elections.
“Challenges are there, ZEC still has to reform, electoral reforms have to be implemented and have always been saying those reforms must be put in place that’s why we have written to SADC and asking them to help us and also to have a political dialogue within the country around reform that we would want instituted and put in place,” said Chamisa
He said despite formally presenting their grievances to ZEC, the electoral body has not given any satisfactory responses.
“Going forward we are pushing for electoral reforms, the journey has begun the march to 2023ha begun. We wrote to ZEC several letters around voters roll, they also responded to us but bin their response they were no giving any answer that is solid, they were wishy washy not committing to anything. ZEC were supposed to pass various tests one of which is sincerity, another one is integrity, the honourable conduct of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission we have not seen that.
“They were supposed to pass the constitutional test in terms of following the constitution on all the requirements. You can see (from the issues raised) that there is tomfoolery, deliberate mischief on the part of ZEC and these are the issues that we have put on record,” Chamisa added
