Mnangagwa speaks on diaspora vote, voter education, ZEC independence, election observers

In a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Attorney General, Mr Kumbirai Hodzi, at a Bulawayo hotel during a stakeholders dialogue on the Election Resource Centre’s petition to Parliament, Vice President and justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa responded to the Election Resource Centre (ERC) petition to Parliament regarding the alignment of electoral laws to the Constitution.

Mnangagwa said that Government has enacted the Electoral Amendment Act of 2014, which has led to ZEC being financially independent in terms of receiving direct support from Treasury in terms of Sections 11 and 12 of the Act and the Paris Principles of Institutional Independence. He also spoke on diaspora vote and said:

As far as our laws are concerned and the extent to which this right is conferred by our legislation, we feel that our laws are adequate as they confer a right to every Zimbabwean who wishes to vote in a constituency defined by the Constitution.

He said that although voter education is the mandate of ZEC, civic organisations can engage in it as provided for indirectly by Section 67 of the Constitution. Mnangagwa also highlighted that the invitation of election observers is the function of ZEC as provided for by Section 239 (i), the preamble, sections 5, and 40G-40J of the Electoral Act.

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