Tsvangirai acknowledged the ZEC’s mandate to demarcate constituencies but said the composition of the commission was subject to negotiations and it should therefore hold its horses until conclusion of talks.
Our view is that it is premature for them to start this process (of demarcating constituencies) before the conclusion of the negotiations, said Tsvangirai, who heads the main faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party after the opposition party split two years ago.
He added: The issue of the voter’s roll and the composition of ZEC itself in respect of 2008 elections is still subject to the negotiations and as such they must hold their horses.
But ZEC spokesman Utoile Silaigwana said the commission was ready to begin the delimitation of constituencies, saying the signing of Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Number 18 by President Robert Mugabe last week meant the commission could proceed to mark constituency boundaries.
The signing into law of the 18th Amendment means the delimitation process can now begin as it is now constitutional, said Silaigwana.
The constitutional amendment enacted by the government with backing from the MDC among other key provisions empowers the ZEC to take over registration of voters, demarcation of constituencies and overall management of elections.
However, the MDC says the spirit of the constitutional amendment was that a new commission and not a sanitised version of the existing one be appointed to register voters, demarcate constituencies and oversee preparations for next year’s elections.
We have problems with the current composition of ZEC which is partisan, said Tsvangirai.
Postponing demarcation of constituencies and wards for the joint presidential, parliamentary and local government elections until the conclusion of inter-party talks could mean moving the polls to a date later than the scheduled March.
Sources say the two factions of the MDC favour moving the polls to next June. However, Mugabe and ZANU PF are said to be against shifting the elections with Justice Minister telling reporters last week that the polls would be held next March.
Zimbabwe is in the grip of a debilitating economic crisis that is highlighted by the world’s highest inflation rate of nearly 8 000 percent, a rapidly contracting GDP, the fastest for a country not at war according to the World Bank and shortages of foreign currency, food and fuel.
Political analysts believe truly democratic polls next year are a key requirement to any plan to pluck Zimbabwe out of an ever-worsening political and economic crisis. – ZimOnline
Post published in: News