Source: Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust
The public hearing on the Electoral Law Reforms was disrupted this morning at Dangamvura’s Beit Hall in Mutare by what looked like sponsored elements who were not happy with certain views expressed by participants. The public hearing almost suffered a similar fate yesterday in Mutoko where some people got agitated when one participant said the security personnel should not be part of the ZEC secretariat and that the electoral law should bar traditional leaders from political party activities.
While the public hearing started off in an atmosphere of relative peace in Mutare, it became disorderly as there was a clique of participants who seemed bent on disrupting the hearing at all costs. This unruly clique made its displeasure known every time participants criticized the electoral management system especially with regard to biased state media coverage of political parties, alleged state sponsored violence, staffing of ZEC secretariat with security personnel and biased selection and accreditation of election observers among other issues.
Before the disruption of the hearing, participants had also raised the following issues that they said should be addressed in order to level the electoral playing field;
- Voting should be extended to the Diaspora
- Voter registration slips should never be allowed for voting as they can be easily manipulated
- All contesting political should be involved in the electoral processes for transparency and confidence-building
- Electoral laws must be aligned to the Constitution
- Need for comprehensive voter education involving other stakeholders
- ZEC must be fully in charge of the electoral process and have power to disqualify candidates and political parties for malpractices
- Need for an effective code of conduct for political parties which is legally binding
- There must be a code of conduct for members of the security sector to ensure that they conduct themselves professionally
- The law should provide for conflict management mechanisms at all the phases of the electoral process
It need not be emphasized that the disruption of public hearings is not only deplorable but an indictment of the rule of law in the country. It seems the elements bent on disrupting these public hearings are doing so with impunity. It is hoped that Parliament Administration will beef up security at the remaining public hearings in Bulawayo, Gwanda and Gweru.
Source: Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust