|
Back to Index, Back to Special Index
This article participates on the following special index pages:
Zimbabwe's Elections 2013 - Index of Articles
ZESN’s statement on the mobile voter registration exercise
Zimbabwe
Election Support Network
May 03, 2013
ZESN welcomes
the commencement of a national mobile voter registration exercise
earlier this week. Indications from the various parts of the country
have shown that although in some areas the registration is going
on well there are a number of challenges regarding personnel, funds
and other resources resulting in some areas not being fully covered
by the exercise.
ZESN notes with
concern the failure to publicize the process in the public media
before commencement of the registration exercise. Therefore there
is lack of adequate information regarding the registration centres,
registration dates and the requirements for registration, which
has seen a considerable number of people being turned away at the
point of registration, while others are not even aware that such
an exercise is on-going. Moreover, in some instances, fewer teams
than expected were deployed resulting in some wards not being adequately
catered for. ZESN is worried that this lack of publicity may result
in the electorate not fully participating and being subsequently
unable to exercise their right to vote.
Furthermore,
ZESN reiterates its previous calls over the past years for the relaxation
of registration requirements in Zimbabwe, chief among these being
the acceptable proof of residence in urban areas and the need for
endorsement by the chief in rural areas. ZESN is of the view that
such requirements might result in the exclusion
of potential voters should their lessors or chiefs fail or refuse
to avail proof of residence or endorsement.
ZESN noted from
media reports efforts by the Office of the Registrar-General of
removing 1 000 000 dead people from the voters’ register –
up form 300 000 reported a few weeks ago. This comes on the back
of persistent calls by stakeholders including civic organisations
such as ZESN for the cleaning of the voters’ roll and removal
of dead voters who according to a survey by ZESN in 2010 amounted
to 27% of the entire voters roll. However, the process was not widely
publicised for citizens to initiate the removal of their deceased
relatives. Further the rate at which the deletions has been effected
is alarming especially given that the method used was not clearly
outlined to stakeholders. ZESN therefore reiterates the need for
full transparency in the process of overhauling the voters’
roll given the vital role that it plays in ensuring a credible election.
In order therefore
for the registration exercise to be comprehensive, ZESN recommends
the following:
- Increase
transparency of the voter registration processes such as deletion
from the voters’ roll as the process is currently out of
public scrutiny and the criteria for deletion is left to the discretion
of the Constituency-Registrars;
- Extensive
voter education drives to inform citizens on the procedures for
registration, transferring, objections, making claims and deletion
of dead voters;
- Voter education
should also include information on how relatives can help the
Registrar with deletions of their deceased relatives from the
voters’ roll, as well as the process for objection to inclusion
of specific persons by citizens;
- Requirements
such as proof of residence need to be reviewed, especially for
urban voters and young voters who find it difficult to produce
proof of residence;
- Ensure the
funding of ZEC is adequate for voter registration and voter education
that relates to voter registration.
Visit the ZESN
fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
TOP
|
