The
allegation by the applicant to the effect that the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission allowed only ZANU-PF to conduct voter education using
sample ballot papers for the purposes of rigging the harmonised
elections was unfounded.
In
terms of section 40C(1)(c) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13],
political parties are permitted to conduct voter education.
The
twenty-fourth respondent (the Chairperson of ...
The
allegation by the applicant to the effect that the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission allowed only ZANU-PF to conduct voter education using
sample ballot papers for the purposes of rigging the harmonised
elections was unfounded.
In
terms of section 40C(1)(c) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13],
political parties are permitted to conduct voter education.
The
twenty-fourth respondent (the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission) averred that ZANU-PF requested that it be provided with a
sample ballot paper relating to each ward or constituency under
contestation in the harmonized
elections.
The
request was refused.
All
the political parties contesting the harmonised elections, including
the MDC-Alliance, were given three sample ballot papers. One sample
ballot paper was provided for each election. The sample ballot papers
were given to each political party for the purpose of enabling it to
conduct voter education in terms of the law of elections.
There
was no evidence produced by the applicant for the bald and general
allegation that the giving of the sample ballot papers to ZANU-PF
“created fertile ground for rigging through ballot swapping and
stuffing”. The applicant did not say why the same allegation could
not be levelled against the MDC-Alliance. It had also received three
sample ballot papers for the purpose of conducting voter
education….,.
All
the sample ballot papers were clearly endorsed “SAMPLE”.
The
applicant did not have any evidence to show how such a sample ballot
paper could be swapped and passed for the actual ballot paper used in
the election. The applicant did not relate to the rigorous process of
voting prescribed by the Electoral Act. He had to relate to the
process to show the stage at which the ballot swapping or stuffing
would have occurred. He did not do what was expected of him because
he must have known that the allegations he was making were baseless.
