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Government accused of moving 'goal posts' on elections
Tichaona Sibanda and Violet Gonda, SW Radio Africa
September 13, 2006

http://www.swradioafrica.com/news130906/elections130906.htm

The ruling Zanu (PF) regime has been accused of trying to ‘steal’ the forthcoming Rural District Council elections by issuing conflicting statements over the sitting date for the nomination court.

The cash strapped regime announced recently that the nomination court for all the 57 rural district councils would sit this Friday but the opposition says there is not enough time to prepare, with polling expected on the 28th of October.

Pishai Muchauraya the Tsvangirai MDC Spokesperson for Manicaland said from date of the announcement this left people only 5 days to inspect the voter’s roll, before the nomination court. He deplored the way government has disseminated information concerning the elections saying ‘there is no proper information being given about the elections except dates for inspection and the nomination court’.

The nomination court date has also become an issue as MDC officials in Binga, Matebeleland North and possibly other areas, have received information that the date has been moved from this Friday to the 22nd September, which will also be a Friday. MDC legislator for Binga Joel Gabuza felt the information wasn’t reliable enough not to be at the court on Friday, insisting all their candidates would be there ‘unless we get a signed letter from the RG’s office’.

‘For all we know this could be a trap by Zanu (PF) officials. That’s why we insist to have that amendment in writing from the Registrar-General. We fear if we disperse our candidates now, all Zanu (PF) will do is register their candidates Friday and have them duly elected with no other nominations received from opposition candidates. We have seen this happen before, so we know,’ Gabuza said.

Constitutionally the government should have made a statement regarding the date during the month of August in order for people to inspect the voters’ roll and prepare for nominations.

According to the Rural Councils Act, notice for the nomination courts for elections in all the 57 Rural District Councils should have been sent out last month to allow the nomination court to sit during the first week of September with the elections scheduled in 21 days’ time.

Last week Paul Temba Nyathi, Elections Director of the Mutambara MDC, said it’s frustrating because normal procedure is not being followed making it difficult to prepare structures. He said this shows that the state has become unable to discharge its responsibilities ‘and the fact that it doesn’t seem to be able to do so is an indication of a bigger malaise that is in the country’s administrative structures.’

Though the regime is seen to be trying to confuse the situation in an effort to capitalise and win some wards, in areas like Binga this might seem impossible. It is the sole district in the whole country whose council is controlled by the opposition. The Tsvangirai led MDC controls 16 wards out of 21 and Gabuza was confident his party can wrestle the remaining five seats from Zanu (PF).

‘This is the only district in the country where the opposition has a majority rule. Binga is solidly an MDC area and this is a safe district for the party. Even if they were to rig, they will still lose here,’ he added.

Both factions of the MDC would field candidates in all the 1600 wards in elections scheduled for October. But government is broke and cannot role out such a mammoth balloting exercise.

Reports suggest that funds for the elections will be raised through the high costs of registering candidates which has been pegged at Z$2 million each.

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