Youths call for voters roll clean up

Youths, who constitute about 60 percent of the population, need a chance to be included, says the Trust.

Despite a considerable body of evidence to the contrary, the Registrar General, Tobaiwa Mudede, continues to insist that the roll is devoid of any irregularities.

“No constitutional referendum must be held before a thorough clean up of the voters roll,” said the NYDT in its contribution to the debate.

An April 2010 audit of the voters roll carried out by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, the election watchdog, showed that at least 27 per cent of voters registered in the current voters roll are deceased and only 18% of those registered are youths aged between 18-30.

Given this scenario the youth recommended that if the RG’s office fails to clean up the voters roll in time for the referendum, voters should be able to use their national IDs – as was the case in 2000.

In addition, they said, youths needed to register as voters, and this could be achieved through involving NGOs to partner with the RG’s office to assist in voter education and making available mobile registration centres.

“It must be understood that going into the constitutional referendum with a messed up voters roll may mean many of the views expressed in the COPAC meetings, no matter how good, may be undermined. Unregistered youths will be deprived of the chance to either reject or endorse the constitution they want,” says the statement.

The youths also called for a deliberate voter registration drive for young people so that they take an active part in the referendum. The Trust recommends that mobile registration centres be set up while all national identity Card issuing centres should have registration points to allow for a “one stop”service delivery.

With the government being so cash-strapped the Trust said the RG’s office must partner with civil society organisations like theirs in different parts of the country to help mobilize young people to register to vote.

“This will ensure that the constitution making process has a complete buy-in from all sectors of society, young people in particular. It will also build the credibility of the electoral process and the electorate’s confidence in the system. Similarly, youths and youth groups need to be proactive in lobbying and advocating for the cleanup of the voters roll before the nation goes to the referendum.”