Nomination challenges stall ballot paper design, p...

Nomination challenges stall ballot paper design, printing

**Ambassador Rodney Kiwa, centre, briefs attendants of the 2023 Election Obersver Meeting in Harare yesterday.**

Zim Now Writer

The design of ballot papers for use in the 2023 Harmonised Elections has stalled, owing to the several court challenges involving candidate nomination, a senior Zimbabwe Electoral Commission official has said.

In his address during the 2023 Harmonised Elections Observer Meeting in Harare today, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Deputy Chairperson Ambassador Rodney Kiwa said: “Section 239(g) of the Constitution gives the Commission the mandate to design, print and distribute ballot papers, among other functions. The Commission has commenced the exercise of designing the ballot papers for all contested National Assembly constituencies and local authority wards as well as the Presidential Ballot.

“The drawback, however, as you may appreciate is the designing of the ballot papers for those constituencies where an appeal has been lodged against the rejection or acceptance of a prospective candidate’s papers. The Commission hopes that this legal challenge will be concluded soon to allow it to conclusively deal with the design thereof,” Ambassador Kiwa said.

Ambassador Kiwa added: “Regarding the printing of ballot papers, the Commission will in due course and in line with the provisions of Section 52A of the Electoral Act inform the general public and other stakeholders of where and by whom the ballot papers for the election are being printed as well as the total number of ballot papers that have been printed in respect of each election.”

The top ZEC official also said the law compels the Commission to to establish adequate polling stations in each of the country’s 1 970 wards with each polling station being located at a place that is readily accessible to the public, including persons with disabilities.

“The Commission has established 11 501 polling stations throughout the country. Please note that some of these polling stations are composite hence they may be split to maintain the 1 000 voter population threshold,” Ambassador Kiwa said, adding that the final list of polling stations will be published in the press 21 days before polling and on election day.

“These stations were established in terms of Section 51 of the Electoral Act, which provides that the Commission should establish polling stations at places it finds suitable and convenient to voters,” said the ZEC deputy chairperson.

**Some of the people who attended the 2023 Election Obersver Meeting in Harare yesterday**

The meeting, which was attended by ZEC-accredited observers as well as members of the media also heard that ZEC had appointed two Special Police Liaison Officers in each of the 10 administrative provinces of the country, in accordance with Section 133H of the Electoral Act to investigate cases related to electoral violence that might arise during the electioneering period.

This year’s harmonised elections will be held on August 23, according to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s proclamation contained in Statutory Instrument 85 of 2023, in line with Section 144 of the Constitution. The proclamation states the date on which the Presidential, National Assembly and Local Authority Elections will be held.

A total of 11 candidates successfully filed papers to run for the office of President on August 23 and these include Mnangagwa of Zanu PF, Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa and Lovemore Madhuku of the National Constitutional Assembly.

The others are ex-cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere will run as an independent, MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora; Joseph Busha of Free Zim Congress; Trust Chikohora of ZCPD; Blessing Kasiyamhuru of ZIPP; Wilbert Archbald Mubaiwa of NPC, Gwinyai Muzorewa of UANC and Harry Peter Wilson of DOP