Final results of the referendum released yesterday show that a total of 3,079,966 people voted “yes” for the COPAC draft constitution while 179, 489 voted “no”. There were 56,627 spoilt papers.
Addressing a press briefing at the NCA’s headquarters in the capital today, the organisation’s Chairperson, Lovemore Madhuku, said the referendum results were driven more by voter apathy than informed decisions.
“There are over 7,5 million Zimbabweans with National IDs and this is the eligible voter population. The reported 3,3 million who voted is just 44 percent.What is the view of the 56 percent?.This is clear voter apathy.
“In any event, the claim that 3,3 million people voted is a fraud by ZEC. To claim that there was close to a million more votes in the referendum than in the election that took place in the March 2008 harmonised elections is to take the public for fools,” said Madhuku.
He accused ZEC of conniving with parties in the Inclusive Government to aid the “Yes Vote”.
“ZEC aided the “Yes Vote’. First by misinterpreting the intentions of thousands of voters in rural areas, particularly Mash East, Mash Central and Masvingo who indicated that they wanted their vote to be put on President Robert Mugabe.
“Those voters should have been turned away but ZEC officials interpreted this as a “Yes Vote” when we all know that the President’s vote is his secret. Secondly, ZEC did not turn away thousands of voters who were asking what the vote was all about,” said Madhuku.
Madhuku said that ZEC, in the run up to the referendum failed to act in an independent manner and did not monitor media coverage as well.
He alleged that state and donor resources for the constitutional referendum were only available for the ‘’Yes Vote”.
“The ‘Yes Vote’ used hate speech. For example the Prime Minister described the “no” campaign as being made up of “Nhinhi’’(Shona for hard –headed people) and those intending to vote “no” as having “mamhepo” (evil spirits).
“The police disrupted many “no” campaign meetings and the atmosphere was not conducive to public meetings for that campaign,” he added.
Madhuku said the NCA would continue to fight against the draft constitution that is however to become the new people’s charter soon.
“The NCA will intensify its efforts for a rejection of the so-called new constitution just as it has, for over 14 years, campaigned for the rejection of the Lancaster House Constitution,” said Madhuku.
Post published in: News