We should postpone the 2018 Elections says MDC-T Spokesperson Gutu

The spokesperson for the opposition MDC-T party, Obert Gutu has said that next year’s harmonised elections should be postponed as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is inadequately prepared to run a credible election. Writing in his personal capacity, Gutu said:

Chances are if we go for elections in 2018, the plebiscite will be so massively rigged in favour of the incumbent ruling party to such an extent that no right-thinking person will term the election free and fair.

ZEC is simply not up to scratch. As presently constituted, it would be much easier for one to sell ice to an Eskimo than to expect ZEC to conduct a free and fair election next year. The ongoing BVR exercise has come a shed too late.

It will definitely not be able to produce a credible and legitimate national voters’ roll in time for the 2018 plebiscite. Experiences in other parts of Africa such as Uganda, Kenya, Cameroun and Namibia, show that the electoral body needed at least three years to roll out an efficient and credible biometric voter registration exercise.

…Is there any harm in postponing the elections a little bit in order to make sure that we have a credible and reliable national voters’ roll?

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This is certainly worth considering because it might turn out to be politically reckless and economically disastrous to stampede the country into a hurried and ill-prepared election.

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