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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
Delaying
presidential result an attempt to subvert electoral processes and
people's will
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
April 01, 2008
Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights (ZLHR) deplores the ongoing charade currently being
undertaken by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) whereby they
have been releasing purported results of the elections for members
of the House of Assembly in dribs and drabs over the course of the
past two days.
By law, in terms
of the Electoral
Act as amended, winning candidates for the House of Assembly
and the Senate are collated and declared at the House of Assembly
collation centres (constituency centres) and the Senatorial collation
centres respectively. These must subsequently be published but do
not, by law, have to be publicly announced as is currently being
done by ZEC.
The only results which
are verified and collated at the National Collation Centre are those
for the presidential election. These are then announced by the Chief
Elections Officer.
ZLHR's accredited
observers witnessed counting processes at polling stations throughout
the country. Reports were provided that results were being posted
outside polling stations as early as 11:00hrs on Saturday 29 March
2008, whereafter they were transferred to the constituency centres
and senatorial centres.
ZEC publicly advised
the nation before Election Day that it was in full control of the
administration of the harmonized elections, had provided for all
eventualities and was fully resourced and prepared to undertake
the elections at all its polling stations throughout Zimbabwe. It
therefore beggars belief that 3 days later the presidential results
have not been transferred or are not known and have not been made
public.
This leads to a legitimate
fear that attempts are being made to tamper with the results and
subvert the will of the people. ZEC's conduct - that
of engaging in the unnecessary process of announcing winning candidates
for the House of Assembly and the Senate and dragging the process
on - implies complicity in such attempts.
Failing to provide clear
and acceptable information to the public about the reason for the
inordinate delay in declaring the winning presidential candidate
has caused much anxiety and anguish in the population. ZEC must
be prepared to take responsibility should their conduct result or
contribute to predictable polarization and public stress that provides
a basis for potential widespread violations for human rights.
Visit the ZLHR
fact
sheet
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