|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…
|
The Residents Association Coalition for Electoral Reforms (RACER), an alliance of Residents Associations advocating for electoral and local governance reforms has flagged out grey areas that need to be addressed including but not limited to the continued lack of access to national registration documents, political intolerance, lower voter registration turnout, and poor service provision ahead of the upcoming by-elections and watershed 2023 harmonized elections.
RACER argues that residents are entitled to and have the right to birth certificates and other identity documents issued by the state as provided in Section 35(3)(c). It is calling upon the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, in particular, the Registrar General’s Office to immediately put up mechanisms that allow access to national identity documents across Zimbabwe.
It affirmed that possession of national registration documents are a pre-requisite for voter registration and participation of residents in electoral processes, and the lack of these documents infringes political rights provided in Section 67 (3)(a) and(b) which are the right to vote and stand for public office.
RACER said the establishment of 2700 voter registration centres by ZEC while prospective voters lack national identification documents is a solemn mockery to electoral processes and to a larger extent waste of resources.
The coalition laments over the elimination of the citizens’ voice and will in electing public officials by the failure to access lack of identification documents.
RACER averred that political intolerance in a multi-party system of democratic governance is unacceptable and has no place in any democracy and called upon leaders of all political parties to be responsible and desist from hate speech during the campaign period.
It affirmed that the supreme law of the land, Section 67(1) and (2) gives every citizen the right to form, to join, and to participate in the activities of a political party or organisation of their choice, campaign freely and peacefully for a political party. Accordingly, all political parties should respect this constitutional principle.
“We reiterate that criminalising diversity of political opinion and affiliation and labelling of fellow countrymen as enemies based on differences in political convictions is unconstitutional and counters development as it will further divide an already polarised citizenry. The nexus between service provision and elections calls for a citizens’ voice and will in determining public elected officials to fill in the electoral vacancies to ensure adequate representation of the electorate.
“We reiterate that electoral choices are inseparably connected with the quality of service provision and representation. We are aware that by-elections and the upcoming 2023 election come against a background of inadequate and poor representation, bad local governance practices, and deterioration of service delivery, and call upon those who will be voted into office to provide leadership and seek to improve service delivery than self-enrichment,” RACER said in a statement.
The coalition said a large portion of electoral vacancies occurred as a result of rampant recalls without the residents’ voice, a situation that has rendered the voter powerless.
It implored the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to fulfill its constitutional mandate without fear or favor and ensure that the by-elections are conducted efficiently, freely, fair, transparently in line with the Constitution.
RACER called upon the security sector, the police, in particular, to respect the fundamental rights and freedoms, the democratic values, and principles of the rule of law as provided in the Constitution when pursuing individual and national security during the campaign period.
The by-elections are also a yardstick to prove the preparedness of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and to hold the 2023 general elections in a free and fair manner.
In view of the above critical issues, RACER, therefore, recommend the following;
- The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Registrar General’s Office must urgently come up with mechanisms that improve access to national identification documents, including the establishment of mobile registration centres.
- Members of the police force must respect fundamental human rights, uphold the constitution and enforce the law without fear or favor, be non-partisan and professional in terms of Section 219(1)(e) and (3).
- Parliament must expedite the Zimbabwe Independent Complaints Commission Bill to become law that will provide mechanisms for reporting, receiving, and investigating complaints from members of the public on various issues including misconduct of security forces and for remedying any harm caused by such misconduct as provided in 210 of the Constitution.
- Registered voters must go out and vote in their numbers and shun voices that are discouraging people to participate in the by-elections
- A law to operationalize recall of public officials must be put in place, that will see political parties initiating the recall while residents endorse the recall through a referendum.