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Amend electoral laws to discourage rogue parties: ZEC
Tandayi Motsi, The Herald (Zimbabwe)
May 29, 2006

http://www1.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=3753&livedate=5/29/2006%2012:00:00%20AM&cat=1

ZIMBABWE’S electoral laws should be amended to provide for the registration of political parties in order to give them a legal basis for existence and to discourage the emergence of "rogue parties".

This is contained in recommendations made by the former Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC) in its 2005 Senate elections and Gutu North parliamentary by-election report that has been presented in the House of Assembly.

The report was tabled in the House by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa on Tuesday last week.

The ESC has since been merged with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to form a single body in charge of elections in line with the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) guidelines and principles governing the conduct of democratic elections.

In its report, the ESC noted that the current electoral laws did not provide for the registration of political parties, leading to the emergence of "nondescript small parties with little content and no standing, let alone sustainability".

"The ESC recommends amendment to the electoral laws to provide for the registration of political parties by the ZEC after payment of a registration fee. "Such registration is important in that it discourages the emergence of rogue parties," it said. Currently, political parties are registered as voluntary organisations.

The registration of political parties, the ESC said, would act as confirmation as to whether the parties had a national outlokk and attributes leading to national unity and peace. Furthermore, registration ensures accountability in regard of every party’s activities and funds at its disposal, thereby allowing for audits.

"Registration ensures observance of national security. The State can carry out investigations to ascertain the party’s intentions and hence be aware of any planned State sabotage," said the ESC.

The commission said registration of political parties would also facilitate transparency in funding as conditions for disclosure could be enshrined in the party’s constitution, manifesto, traceable addresses and proof of the source of funding. The Political Parties Finance Act forbids local parties from receiving foreign funding.

Turning to voters, the ESC attributed the apathy experienced during the polls to lack of voter education. The commission recommended that all stakeholders, including political parties and ZEC, should play an important role in educating the electorate. Civic and voter education, the ESC said, should be legislated as this engendered patriotism, enlightened the electorate as well as instilling a sense of nationhood as an obligation to citizens.

Commenting on the coverage of the elections by both the public and private media, the ESC said the reporting was less polarised compared to the 2005 parliamentary polls.

However, it said there was still room for improvement in objective reporting by the media. The ESC concluded that after taking into consideration Zimbabwe’s electoral laws, level of compliance with the Sadc guidelines governing the conduct of democratic elections and the peaceful environment, the polls were free and fair. The elections were also declared free and fair by local and regional observers that included the African Union, Sadc Electoral Commissions Forum and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa).

In the Senate elections, Zanu-PF won 43 seats, 19 of them unopposed, while the MDC got seven seats. The Upper House is composed of 66 members of which 50 are elected through the common voters’ roll, with eight chiefs elected by the provincial assemblies plus the president of the Chiefs Council and his deputy. The remaining six members are appointed by the President to represent special interest groups such as the disabled.

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