Failed Special Voters to vote in general elections

Members of the uniformed forces and election officials who failed to cast their votes during the Special Vote will be allowed to vote in polls set for July 31st, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced Monday.

The security forces and civil servants were supposed to have voted in advance of general elections on the 14th and 15th of July.

According to ZEC, only 29,000 out of the 69,000 police officers who registered to vote, participated in this early poll that was marred by late delivery of ballot papers and delays at polling stations.

But Constitutional lawyer and Education Minister David Coltart said while every citizen should be allowed to vote, there is a provision in the Electoral Act that stipulates that if a person has applied for a special vote they would not be allowed to vote during the harmonized elections, to prevent double voting.

Coltart said it’s not up to ZEC to just simply waive that provision. “If they felt that provision prevents people from exercising their right to vote then they should have gone to the Constitutional Court.”

The minister said if the State recognizes that all citizens must be given the opportunity to vote then Zimbabweans in the Diaspora should also be allowed to participate in the elections.

“There are many Zimbabwean citizens in the Diaspora, especially in South Africa – there are hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans in South Africa. So is ZEC going to ensure that those people can also exercise their vote?” Coltart asked.

He said there needs to be consistency in the application of this electoral provision. The minister said neighboring countries allow their citizens who are resident in Zimbabwe, to vote in their respective countries and Zimbabwe should also allow postal votes. – SW Radio Africa News

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