1. Total number of voters on the roll 6,2 million
2. Some 2 million young people are unregistered – this will have been reduced by the registration exercise but will still exceed 1 million potential voters.
3. A careful and credible electronic audit has been carried out and shows that:
(a) There are nearly 900 000 duplicate entries;
(b) There are over 109 000 persons who technically are over 100 years old;
(c) The number of persons registered who are over 80 years old is over 320 000;
(d) 44000 voters have had their ID numbers changed since 2008.
4. Available data shows that when compared to the 2012 national Population Census there are at least half of all voters who are on the voters roll in excess of the numbers of people of voting age in those age categories above the age of 25.
5. The urban/rural split on the roll has been altered since 2008 to reduce the number of urban voters and increase the numbers of voters in rural and resettlement areas.
A second and more comprehensive report on the voters roll will be issued in the next 24 hours by RAU. This will then be updated by RAU once we get a new copy of the final roll.
The threat to a credible poll on the 31st July 2013
The above situation opens the door to a rigged election where ghost voters vote and voters can vote more than once. Coupled to the possibilities for false counting and reporting of the ballot these problems constitute a serious threat to a credible election.
To address these issues the MDC (T) demands the following:
1. A comparison of the Biometric Citizenship data base held and maintained by the Registrar Generals Office with the Voters roll after the compilation of the final roll including the recent voter registration exercise. This will reveal some of the more serious anomalies which can then be addressed.
2. The development of two rolls for use in the elections on the 31st July – one containing the voters between the age of 18 and 65 and one containing all the names of those who are over the age of retirement (65 years and above). The latter to be used by returning officers to allow older citizens to vote while ensuring that excess numbers are not used for false balloting.
Other Issues of Concern
The MDC (T) is concerned that it should be allowed to observe the ballot at all Polling Stations and to continue to do so throughout counting the ballot and completing the results tabulation forms for each polling station. To do so the Party is training 40 000 agents who will be deployed on the day and must be accredited by the Electoral Commission to do so.
It is essential for accreditation to be so managed as to enable all Parties to secure the required documentation for all their agents well in advance of the poll. ZEC are stating that they will only allow two (2) agents from each party at the Polling Stations – one inside the Station at al time and one outside. This is in contradiction of the position that we understood allowed us one polling agents per candidate inside the Station. This must be clarified as well as the process to be used to accredit these individuals so that we do not have any problems on the day of the poll.
It is also vital that all Political Parties be allowed to view the roll for at least two days before affirming with the Commission that the roll is acceptable and the Commission should then confirm that this is the roll that will be employed in the elections and no other.
The MDC is concerned that ZEC does not have the capacity to receive and collate and then validate all polling station returns and that this is in violation of the new Electoral Act. Steps should be taken immediately to ensure that ZEC has the capacity in independently conduct this responsibility and to thereafter report the results within the time frame allowed in law.
It must be noted that in past elections communication and tabulation has been in the hands of a secretive group outside ZEC and spear headed by the Police presence at every polling station with communications equipment. The new Electoral Act does not allow the Police into the Polling Stations and we must enforce this – they are the key to the rigging strategy.
Finally it is reported that a clamp down has been ordered at ZEC over contact and communication with all outsiders. This is managed by the Deputy Chairperson of ZEC who is a hard line CIO and Zanu PF Cadre.
Post published in: News