Shocking findings on voters’ roll

Some 2 million potential young voters making 29 percent of the over 6. 5 million electorate were left out of the recent voter registration exercise and will not participate in coming harmonised elections, says a research organisation.

According to a recent analysis made by the Research and Advocacy Unit, those discriminated are mainly under the age of 30.

Instead, the voters’ roll is clogged with names of some one million people who are either deceased or have left the country.

The 2012 census exposed other anomalies whereby 63 constituencies have more voters than inhabitants, said RAU in its latest report.

The constituency delimitation exercise discriminates against urban constituencies in favour of the rural, added the organisation.

It was noted that the voter registration pattern showed bias in favour of rural constituencies, believed to be Zanu (PF) strongholds.

According to the June 2013 voters’ roll, there are 3, 891 425 registered voters in rural constituencies as opposed to 1, 424 047 in urban constituencies and 558 507 in mixed constituencies.

The registration rate in the purely rural constituencies is 94 percent while in urban areas where MDC draws the bulk of its support, it stands at 74 percent.

Numerous reports indicate that some people have their names on the roll despite not having registered.

Some 44, 000 voters may not be allowed to cast their vote, since suffixes of their national registration numbers have been altered on the roll.

Huge numbers of married women’s surnames have been changed on the roll to surnames of their husbands without their consent.

RAU says this may cause problems for the women at the polls, since their identification documents have their maiden surnames.

Zimbabwe is set to hold harmonised elections on July 31, amid protests by MDCs that the just ended voter registration exercise was discriminatory and fraudulent.

Post published in: News
Comments
  1. Mukanya waSvosve
  2. ">Agen Bola |

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *