ZESN, in a statement released on Friday, encouraged Zimbabweans to go and vote.
“ZESN…encourages all citizens to go out and exercise their right to vote in the referendum regardless of how they intend to vote. ZESN is a strictly non-partisan organisation and, as a network, takes no position on the merits or demerits of the draft new constitution,”
said the election watchdog.
The organisation, however, noted some flaws in the process leading up to the referendum, but hoped the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission would effectively carry out its mandate.
“ZESN notes that the referendum will go ahead tomorrow amid concerns regarding the timing, funding, and lack of adequate awareness campaigns undertaken nationwide on the contents of the draft.
“ZESN hopes that despite the aforementioned problems, ZEC will be able to deliver a credible referendum. Already ZEC has conducted two observer briefings and ZESN would like to commend the Commission for the briefings which provided essential guidelines for observing the referendum,” said ZESN.
The watchdog expressed reservations regarding some of the regulations that ZEC announced ahead of the plebiscite.
It is concerned by the limit put on the number of observers at polling stations at any one time, saying that might constrain other observers wishing to visit voting points.
ZESN urged ZEC to “urgently reconsider this decision to enable local observers to carry out a comprehensive polling observation exercise to enable them to report empirically”.
While ZEC regulated that no cellular phones must be used at polling stations, ZESN called on the commission to allow observers “to discretely use their phones at polling stations as long as they do not interfere with the voting process”.
ZESN took a swipe at ZEC for barring Zimrights and the Zimbabwe Peace Project Director, Jestina Mukoko, from observing the referendum.
Police have cracked down on Zimrights, accusing the human rights watchdog of fraudulently registering people, and Mukoko of allegedly running an unregistered organisation (ZPP).
ZESN is a network of 31 non-governmental organisations working to promote democratic elections in Zimbabwe.
It announced that it had set up hotlines for people to share views regarding the referendum.
Those that wish to air their views, said ZESN, can call 0774584669, 0715596701 and 0748918420.
Post published in: News