Political Correspondent
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba has proposed reforms to electoral laws, including mandatory registration for political parties, to prevent the “chaos” of double candidates seen in the 2023 general elections.
“The current legislative framework does not require political parties to register, leading to individuals notifying ZEC of party formation without legal engagement,” Chigumba told MPs in Bulawayo.
“This causes chaos during the nomination process, with multiple candidates claiming to represent the same party.”
Chigumba recommends registering political parties or setting time limits on electoral court challenges.
“This means the Electoral Court will stop accepting court challenges 30 days before election day, allowing us to procure and distribute election materials without disruption.”
The double candidate phenomenon severely affected the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change, leading to the recall of over 100 elected councillors and MPs. Chigumba also addressed criticism of ZEC, including claims of voter suppression, blaming litigation by disqualified candidates for delays in delivering ballot papers to opposition strongholds.
“We had an unprecedented number of appeals, which went on into the final week before elections,” Chigumba said.
“Our proposal is to put a 30-day cutoff point to appeals, giving us enough time to prepare for elections.”
Zim GBC News©2024