Election update

Nkayi…
Serious irregularities have been discovered in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)’s preparations for the crucial harmonized elections today.

In Nkayi, ZEC allegedly distributed old V11 forms to some polling stations. V11 forms are used for recording the results for the polls and they therefore carry the names of the candidates who will be contesting in that election. The old V11 forms in essence have names of the candidates who participated in the last elections and in recording the officials will have to erase the old names and write the current ones. ZEC is said to have promised to issue current V11 forms today.

Another area of concern is that polling agents from the opposition, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) failed to attend the demonstration meeting by ZEC because the electoral body had not yet finished processing the agents’ papers. Some agents who therefore failed to attend the demonstration exercise may find it difficult to do their work effectively and this compromises the transparency and credibility of the whole voting process.
In addition…

At Mathendele polling station, observers have been told to remain outside the polling station. The presiding officer allegedly told them to stay where they are until they are advised otherwise.

Bulawayo…
In Emakandeni – Entumbane Constituency in Bulawayo, only one election agent for every participating party in the 2008 harmonized election is being allowed into the polling station. The required number of party agents under normal circumstances is four per party.
At Mckeuratan polling station, there was a delay in the commencement of voting to 7.15am. The polling officers are reportedly too slow and MDC posters were stuck within the radius of the station. The police however intervened. 19 voters have so far been turned away for going to wrong station in the presence of SADC observers.

Mpopoma…
A Zimrights observer at Mpopoma High School was chased from the polling station for wearing a Zimrights t-shirt.

Chitungwiza…
A voter was forced to remove a Crisis Coalition t-shirt written ‘Go vote Zimbabwe’. The polling agent argued that Crisis Coalition is aligned to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and as such the t-shirt was considered political.

Warren Park, Harare…
The voting process at Warren Park High is reportedly very slow. According to a sample survey done by the Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe (YIDEZ), at the polling station, it is taking an individual an average of 5 minutes to vote. The same incident has been reported in Ashdown Park, Avondale.

Gweru…
Some polling stations in the city are reportedly unmarked making it difficult for people to detect whether it is a polling station or not.