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Opposition parties reject new clearance fee for RDC candidates
The Standard (Zimbabwe)
July 23, 2006

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/viewinfo.cfm?linkid=11&id=4162&siteid=1

CANDIDATES taking part in next month's rural district council elections are required to pay a clearance fee of $2 million dollars to the police, it emerged yesterday.

Although the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson, George Chiweshe, could not be reached for comment, the pro-Senate faction of the MDC said its candidates had been instructed to pay the fee to the police.

It said under the new arrangement, a political party fielding candidates in all the 1 600 wards would have to spend $3,2 billion in police clearance fees alone. Stationery and transport expenses for the clearance process would push the figure to as much as $7 billion.

Paul Themba Nyathi, the Director of Elections in the pro-Senate faction of the MDC, said the move was a "clear deprivation of the citizens' rights to participate in democratic processes by making democracy unduly expensive which only the rich could afford".

Nyathi said: "We fail to relate the cost of clearance, which simply involves the police checking by computer whether a person has any criminal record, or not, to the charge of $2 million."

He said what made this condition even more unacceptable was the fact that it is not required in elections to higher offices such as the House of Assembly or Senate.

Nelson Chamisa, the spokesperson of the anti-Senate faction could not be reached for comment yesterday while the United People's Party (UPP) interim President Daniel Shumba said he was not aware of the new arrangement.

Chairperson of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), Lovemore Madhuku, said this new development was an indication that the electoral system is not independent.

"Already, we are seeing indications that the elections would not be free and fair. If our electoral commission were truly independent, they would have consulted all parties and come up with a nominal figure acceptable and affordable by all candidates. The figure should not make it appear as if candidates are buying the right to contest, but just an indication of their willingness to take part," Madhuku said.

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