Local civic society organisations have expressed concern over the recent increase in the nomination fees for election candidates gazetted through Statutory Instrument (SI) 144 of 2022 by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
According to the SI 144, a presidential candidate must pay US$20,000, up from US1, 000, while a Member of Parliament (MP) candidate pays US$1,000 from US$50, and a proportional representation candidate has to fork out US$200 from US$100.
In a joint statement, the organisations namely Activista Zimbabwe, Project Vote 263 and ActionAid Zimbabwe (AAZ) said the increase will deprive marginalised groups their chances of participating in elections.
“We believe that the increase will disenfranchise marginalized groups such as women, youth, and people with disabilities (PWDs) from running as candidates and reduces chances of their election into public office.
“These groups already face gendered, age-related, and stigma-based barriers resulting in insufficient political representation, lack of participation in governance and developmental processes, and limited access to life opportunities and means of production. The processes leading to the increase in the nomination fees have also not been inclusive, with these groups, and many others, not consulted at all.
“The SI 144 of 2022 also violates the founding values and principles in the Constitution of Zimbabwe which advocate for free, fair, and regular elections as well as adequate representation of the electorate. Section 67 of the Constitution provides for citizens’ right to elect representatives and the right to be elected, while section 56 advances the notion of equality and non-discrimination in electoral processes,” said the CSOs.
The CSOs called on ZEC to among other issues, urgently initiate dialogue and consultation with the affected stakeholders and scrap the nomination fees for youth, women and PWDs.
“Consider the option of increasing the number of signatures of people who nominate presidential candidates to 1000 per province. Reduce costs related to accessing the voters’ roll by making them available on various virtual platforms.
“Put in place mechanisms that promote access to electoral information, technical and financial support for women, youth and PWDs to effectively participate in electoral processes. Expedite the implementation of ALL recommendations of the observer missions to the 2018 harmonised elections to ensure that the 2023 polls pass the credibility test,” implored the CSOs.
