HARARE - Members of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) are undergoing secret training at Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) offices across the country, allegedly in order to manipulate the running and outcome of future elections. An unwilling participant at the course told The Zimbabwean that training began on Monday at Hurudza House, the CThough the training was still in its initial stages, the aim of the exercise was obviously for us to learn new tricks and methods of manipulating election results without raising public eye-brows, said the source.
We were told to switch our cell phones off to avoid communication and disruption from outsiders. The training has been organized ahead of elections expected next year. Similar courses are underway around the country,” he added.
ZEC is dominated by members of the army, police, CIO, war veterans and die-hard Zanu (PF) officials. Its director for public relations is Shupikai Mashereni, a soldier with the army Public Relations Directorate and a staunch Zanu (PF) sympathizer.
ZEC has been accused of rigging the 2008 elections in favour of President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) party.
Its former chairman, war veteran Judge George Chiweshe, is a former soldier and member of Zanu (PF).
Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC-T party, widely believed to have beaten Mugabe and Zanu (PF) at several elections held since 2000, was the most affected victim of ZEC’s vote rigging.
Signatories to the GPA agreed to a total restructuring of ZEC, to make it a non- partisan organ capable of running free and fair elections. A new board has been appointed under the chairmanship of Judge Simpson Mtambanengwe who sits on the Namibian High Court bench. But the secretariat has not been changed and still includes serving members of the army, the police and the CIO.
Human Rights groups have documented a lengthy catalogue of ZECs shortcomings.
Post published in: Zimbabwe News