01 July 2007

By Caiphas Chimhete
 

ZANU PF has already started rigging next year's harmonized elections by denying supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in rural areas the right to register as voters, the opposition party has said. The party claimed the Registrar-General's Office had made it a requirement for villagers to produce proof of residence -- a letter from a chief or a village head --before they can register.

The RG's Office launched the registration exercise on 18 June and expects it to end on 17 August. MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said thousands of their supporters had been denied registration countrywide. "In some cases they (officials) demand letters from traditional leaders, while in others Zanu PF youth militias physically drag our supporters from registration queues," Chamisa said. "Mudede (RG Tobaiwa Mudede) is taking instructions from a Zanu PF rigging manual."

Most traditional leaders are known to be staunch Zanu PF activists who have openly refused to give the letters to suspected supporters of the MDC, the party claimed. On several occasions, traditional leaders known to be loyal to the opposition have had their salaries withdrawn by the government as punishment. In some cases, registration centres were being increased in areas where Zanu PF membership is predominant, Chamisa said. Mudede's office yesterday confirmed it now demands villagers produce proof of residence from traditional leaders before registration.

"Parents, landlords, house owners, village heads etc can write confirmation letters regarding voters with whom they reside," said Chris Goredema, Mudede's spokesperson for voter registration. He said proof of residence was a requirement in terms of sections 23 (4) and 34 (6) of the Constitution and also in accordance with court order HC11361/2001. Chamisa said the RG's office, "working in cahoots with Zanu PF operatives", were turning away youths, telling them the registration exercise was only for those above 40 years.

Goredema dismissed the accusations, saying his office was registering all aspiring voters who are 18 years and above, in accordance with the Constitution. Chamisa said voter registration must be conducted by a truly independent electoral body and not the RG's office, which he said was a major cog in Zanu PF's election rigging process. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) runs polls in the country but the registration of voters falls under Mudede, who stands accused of rigging previous elections in favour of President Robert Mugabe, in power for the past 27 years.

Zanu PF spokesperson Nathan Shamuyarira could not be reached for comment. The MDC claims the police are denying them clearance to hold rallies in rural areas, demanding that they first get cleared by village heads. As a result, said MDC spokesperson for Manicaland Pishai Muchauraya, the party last week failed to hold two major rallies after police denied them clearance. He said the police were demanding letters of clearance from village heads before allowing them to hold rallies.

Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena denied the police were referring MDC to chiefs for clearance. "I don't think there is anything like that happening. If the police feel that peace and security are threatened, they always resort to the law," Bvudzijena said. Under the Public Order and Security Act political parties require police clearance before holding rallies. Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) acting director Gift Mudzonga said he had just sent a team to check on the voter registration exercise.

"Our guys went out this week and they have not reported back yet. We can only give an informed comment when we get feedback," he said. But Zesn has already expressed concern that voter registration was not adequately publicised and the time spent on each centre was too short to render the exercise fair. The SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections underscore the full participation of citizens in the political process.

"Zesn believes that voter registration should not be a cosmetic exercise but should be a meaningful and all-inclusive electoral process in order that it may amply serve its purpose in the conduct of fair elections," it said. The network said a situation where the RG's office conducts voter registration was "undesirable" and a potential source of electoral disputes. -Zimbabwe Standard.

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