ZESN PRE-ELECTION REPORT ONE
With an estimated three (3) months before the holding of harmonised elections in Zimbabwe, the
country is already in election mode with evident electioneering from political parties and other stakeholders. Zimbabwe’s main political parties have already started preparing for the elections as shown by how they are mobilising citizens to register to vote and have started holding rallies and campaign activities.
Although many preparations have been made for the elections, there is still much that needs to
be improved for the environment to ensure peaceful, transparent and credible elections. Zimbabwe has an unfortunate history of contested electoral outcomes. This is because the legal, administrative and political frameworks still have gaps that need to be attended to in order to ensure the discharge of democratic elections. Some of the issues that still need to be attended to include the need to enhance the Independence of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), and other independent commissions connected to the electoral cycle, ensuring the full participation of women, the youth and persons with disability in the electoral process, as voters and candidates as well as the need to review the legal provisions around voter registration and the voters’ roll.
Another contentious issue is on the Delimitation Report which was settled through the Courts. Although improvements have been noted in the provisions for civic and voter education, there are still some deficiencies that need to be addressed. On the legal framework, the Electoral Amendment Bill that was first gazetted on the 18th of November 2022 if passed without taking into consideration issues raised by other stakeholders will be very inadequate. It only addresses a few nominal issues and leaves out a host of substantive electoral reforms that stakeholders have been calling for. In addition to that, very little of the recommendations from the Election Observer Missions that were made after the 2018 elections has been implemented.
