ZEC gives candidates useless voters’ roll, says Jonathan Moyo

Exiled former cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo says the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has issued candidates with useless voters’ roll.

He says from yesterday’s briefing of observers by ZEC it has came clear that by electoral law the ward, constituency and national voters rolls issued to candidates are useless for the purposes of polling in any election.

Moyo writes:

ZEC GAVE CANDIDATES USELESS VOTERS ROLLS

Addressing election observers yesterday, the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Justice Priscilla Chigumba said @ZECzim gave local authority candidates copies of the ward voters roll, National Assembly candidates were given copies of the constituency voters roll, and presidential candidates were given copies of the national voters roll.

But section 20(4a) of the Electoral Act clearly provides that:

The Commission may prepare and maintain, in printed or electronic form, a consolidated NATIONAL VOTERS ROLL and a consolidated VOTERS ROLL for any CONSTITUENCY or WARD, but such rolls SHALL NOT BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF POLLING IN ANY ELECTION.

Therefore, it is clear that by electoral law the ward, constituency and national voters rolls are useless for the purposes of polling in any election.

Why then did ZEC give candidates useless voters rolls, which are not prescribed for the purposes of polling in any election? A useful voters roll is by definition one that is used for the purposes of polling, and nothing else.

In the circumstances, and for the avoidance of doubt, the only useful voters roll for the purposes of polling in any election is the polling station voters roll!

If a registered voter wants to check whether his or her name is on the voters roll, they check the polling station voters roll and no other voters roll!

Zwnews