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Ballot
But this is not just the role of voters. There is another controversy over the design and printing of the ballot that Zec kept opaque. Some people think that it is useless to discuss the design and printing of the ballot.
People will know who to vote for, regardless of their position on the ballot, they say. The position of a candidate on the ballot will not affect how voters make their choices, they add. They are probably correct.
Zimbabweans are not idiots. But, in fact, this is not the point of contention.
It is first of all that Zec has not complied with the law which requires that all ballots be on Form V.10. Respect for the law is important, as Zec often says, and in this case, they chose to ignore it.
Secondly, it is not a question of whether the candidates' choices can be influenced by the candidate's position on the ballot. the intention behind the design of the ballot in a manner that is inconsistent with the law. There is a reason why Zec deviated from the norm. The opposition rightly worries that Zec deliberately attempted to put the name of Mnangagwa in a more visible and easily identifiable part of the ballot, which has 23 candidates
as the candidate. requires the law, by ranking the candidates in alphabetical order, the name of Mnangagwa would have been in the middle of the long list. There is a legitimate fear that voters may make mistakes. Zec's efforts to explain the design of the ballot were weak and unconvincing. All this reinforced the perception that Zec had been influenced by prejudice to remove a disadvantage of Mnangagwa, that the alphabet imposed on him
Zec had already made it incredibly difficult to witness the printing of ballots transparently. Opposition complaints about the Zec symbolism were echoed by European and local observers. If Zec had nothing to hide, there was nothing to lose by allowing parties to attend the printing process and allay their fears. Instead, it adopted an opacity that simply cemented existing concerns.
Zec could have avoided all this by simply following the law and using Form V.10 of the Election Rules. His opacity in the design and printing of the ballot simply added to the catalog factors suggesting that Zec is biased towards Mnangagwa.
Defend the Falsities
The third is the question of the scarf. Zec's president appeared on a photo wearing a headscarf that is badociated with Mnangagwa leading opposition supporters to have the impression that there is a link and a bias. She knows it would be a mistake to be seen with this scarf. After all, paragraph 11 (3) (c) of the Election Act prohibits a commissioner from "knowingly" wearing a badge or garment that is or may be badociated with a political party or a political party. contestant contesting an election … "
That's why she denied that the photo was taken after she was appointed president of ZEC.However, some people believe that her statements are not safe. 39; do not add since there is evidence suggesting that the photo was taken after his appointment.In the interview on the radio, she could not give a date, which could easily have cleared the It left the impression that she was not truthful, but her wearing of the scarf is not even the most important issue.
It is to try to defend it that another commissioner and subordinate to Zec, Qhubani Moyo, has denied the authenticity of the image when his first appearance, Moyo rejected it as a false image. It turned out that he was wrong. He did not show remorse. The President of the Zec defended him on public radio
If Zec commissioners can convey falsehoods and continue to defend the falsehoods of each other, how does the electorate trust them in the electoral process? What else are they lying about? What other lies would they defend? That's why the question matters. She can wear what she wants, but Zec commissioners must be honest and if a wrong is identified, there must be remorse, convictions and reparations.
Disparaging language
Finally, when the opposition raised complaints about the electoral process, Zec and his commissioners used derogatory language. The election umpire must stay on top of the fray and keep control of the process. Getting off the balcony to the dance floor will only result in messy battles and Zec will eventually lose sight of the bigger picture. It should not be a conflicting commitment between the election arbitrator and one of the parties.
For its part, opposition supporters should alleviate the abusive language that some have used. This leads to nothing and this only exacerbates tensions and widens the gap with the electoral authority.
Conclusion
All of this could have been very simple. By her own admission, the president of Zec acknowledged that most people do not trust the institution she runs. She said regaining that trust is a process. That's right
The problem is that Zec has not made significant advances in its approach to building that trust and confidence. Zec could easily have opened its doors to the process of designing and printing ballots. He could have excused himself and retracted false statements made during the scarf incident. Zec could have been more open on the voters lists, commit to make changes, if anomalies were identified.
Instead, Zec took an arrogant and disdainful approach to this, anticipating challenges for voters. stating that only a metaphor would stop an election and that any anomaly would be at the discretion of the courts. This is not how behaves an administrative body with such an important national mandate.
This article was published on www.bigsr.co.uk
Alex Magaisa is a lawyer in Zimbabwe, a law professor in the United Kingdom, a Zimbabwean political strategist, and a blogger
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