Jonathan Moyo wades into ZEC-EU saga

Zim Now Writer

Exiled former Information and Publicity Minister, Jonathan Moyo has condemned the European Union’s plans to withdraw its funding from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission arguing that the action seeks to maintain its power over the Commission.

This comes as the EU announced that they would scrutinise its funding from ZEC over issues raised by several international Electoral Observation Missions regarding the independence and transparency of ZEC during the 2023 Harmonised Elections.

Moyo said the EU has no directive to regulate on whether the commission has practiced within the confines of the law or not.

“The EU’s notification of its suspension of support for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is an unacceptable use of donor funds to seek to influence and control an independent chapter 12 constitutional body, and it is the clearest ugly example why such bodies must not accept any foreign funding; but must be wholly and adequately funded by the fiscus.

“It is trite that he who pays the piper names the tune.

Moyo said ZEC should be an independent and transparent commission arguing that external donor funding would compromise its independence.

“The EU’s action is tantamount to using the power of the Euro or the Dollar to compromise ZEC’s independence. Whether a constitutional or statutory body has not acted in accordance with the Constitution is for competent courts of law to determine; and not for anyone else, let alone a donor agency.

“To secure their constitutional independence, and to safeguard Zimbabwe’s sovereignty, chapter 12 constitutional bodies must not accept any foreign funding whatsoever from any foreign source,” he argued.

Moyo added that the treasury must ensure that chapter 12 constitutional bodies are wholly and adequately funded by the fiscus.