CCC Drags ZEC To Court Over Ballot Papers
The opposition CCC on Wednesday, 16 August, filed an urgent court application regarding the printing of ballot papers by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
The applicants, CCC and the party’s secretary for elections, Ian Makone, cited ZEC, ZEC chairperson Priscilla Chigumba, and ZEC Chief Elections Officer Utloile Silaigwana as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respondent, respectively.
The applicants, who are being represented by Mtetwa & Nyambirai legal practitioners, argue that the ballots were printed without them knowing who printed the ballot papers, how many ballots were printed, and how they were distributed.
The application reads in part:
IT IS ORDERED THAT:
1. Respondents shall in terms of s52A of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13) immediately and at any rate no later than 3 hours of this order provide applicants with the following details:
i. All the information relating to where and by whom the ballot papers to be used in the harmonised elections to be held on the 23rd of August 2023 were printed.
ii. The total number of ballot papers that have been printed for the harmonised elections to be held on the 23rd of August 2023.
iii. The number of ballot papers that have been distributed to all polling stations and shall to that end, set out separately, the number of ballot papers distributed to each and every identified polling station including postal vote ballot papers.
2. Respondents shall in accordance with provisions of s52A of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13) ensure that the total number of ballot papers printed does not exceed, by more than 10%, the number of voters eligible to vote in the harmonised elections to be held on the 23rd of August 2023 and shall to that end:
i. Provide applicants with all the serial numbers by polling station, of the ballot papers to be distributed to each and every polling station.
ii. Provide applicants with the details of all postal ballot papers printed, their serial numbers as well as the manner in which they were distributed.
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