The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says it has adequate legal framework to conduct free, fair and credible elections that is an envy for many countries.
In an interview with a local radio station, ZEC spokesperson Commissioner Jasper Mangwana said there is need to instill order in some political players because controversies around elections are more of a polarised environment than electoral processes.
“The legal framework that we have is adequate, that is the reason why we have been able to run election, even the by-elections and the 2018 elections. The legal framework is adequate for us to hold elections. In Southern Africa we have waterproof, transparent electoral process which some other countries have been coming to copy Zimbabwe.
“The aspect of displaying a V11 outside the polling station, even Zambia came to Zimbabwe to learn about that but we don’t make noise about it. What we need to look at is to put some order in some political players because a lot of issues that we raise at times. They are not really about the electoral processes but about a polarised political environment which as a commission we have said there is need for order within the political stakeholders such that when we engage with them they don’t compromise the integrity of the elections,” said Mangwana.
He said the Commission has made recommendations to the Ministry of Justice seeking registration and regulation of political parties.
“We have already recommendations to the Ministry of Justice one of them includes the registration and regulation of political parties. This is very important because currently we do have a code of conduct which is more of a gentlemen’s agreement which in essence says what we agree, how do we move, there are not much binding issues.
“The competing people have to agree the way forward but if you don’t have a regulator and a register of political parties it’s difficult to control the political environment that is why as a Commission we made that recommendation. We recommend that if there is a registrar of political parties who then regulates them and puts rules so that political parties must adhere to, if they have an issue they go to and we only receive a list from there,” he said.
Mangwana raised concern over the electoral body’s database which has more than 200 political parties and affects some logistical issues such as calculations and designing of the ballot paper.
