Voters encouraged to register despite rigging mechanisms

By Tererai Karimakwenda
19 July 2007

Over 100 brand new vehicles were handed out to chiefs by government this year. War veterans got a hefty increase in allowances and more so-called youth training camps were opened around the country. Furthermore, government policies created severe food shortages and hyperinflation which forced prices to soar. Then government suddenly ordered businesses to reduce those prices at a loss, causing people to praise the authorities for making goods accessible. These are signs that can only mean one thing. There are elections due in a few months.

The SADC initiated talks being mediated by South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki are supposed to lead to free and fair elections, but Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF are going ahead with their own preparations, using the same system that the opposition is urging Mbeki to help dismantle. The state controlled Herald newspaper said it all on June 15th when it reported: “Preparations for next year's joint presidential and parliamentary elections are gathering momentum with mobile registration of eligible new voters, including those who have changed constituencies since the last poll, and inspection of the voters' roll beginning on Monday next week.” And sure enough the national exercise began and is expected to run until August 18th.

So the question many Zimbabweans are asking themselves is whether they will participate in these joint parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for March 2008, under the current conditions. Should those who need to register do so, regardless of any rigging and manipulation of the voters roll? Voter turnout was dismally low in several by-elections that were held this year and election observers say this is because many have no faith in the process.

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network, an independent group which observes elections in the country, has been urging voters to register regardless of the outcome of the Mbeki mediation, or the allegations of ZANU PF rigging. ZESN spokesperson Rindai Chipfunde said:
“Participation is the basis for any democracy. We believe if you are not on the voters roll, you do not have the basis to participate.” Chipfunde added that if the outcome of the Mbeki talks is positive and changes are made, the voter registration exercise will already have been completed and potential voters would lose out.

Although ZESN supports registration now, they are concerned about the lack of publicity, particularly in the rural areas where information is scarce. Chipfunde said government advertised the registration exercise in The Herald newspaper only once and on a Saturday. Secondly she said the time frame allocated for the exercise was inadequate, and called for an extension. This would allow more time for government to issue identification or registration cards to thousands of voters who are on a waiting list due to a lack of resources at the Registrar General’s office.

Zimbabweans in the diaspora are also demanding their right to vote in the elections. Millions who left the country as the political and economic crisis intensified are currently not allowed to participate in elections. During his recent visit to London, Pastor Useni Sibanda of the Christian Alliance said no election will be fair if the 3 million plus Zimbabweans in the diaspora are not allowed to vote.

It’s impossible to predict Zimbabwe’s future – but what is clear is that everyone who can, should register to vote. Who knows what is going to happen!