A LOT of the disputes witnessed during election cycles can be avoided if political parties and stakeholders agree in advance to change laws or effect the desired reforms that govern elections, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said yesterday.
Welcoming delegates to the 2023 post-election review conference here, Justice Chigumba said it was in the power of stakeholders to determine how elections should be conducted.
ZEC admitted that stakeholders had different views on the delimitation for last year's elections as some stakeholders went to court challenging the outcome of the demarcation of ward and constituency boundaries.
"Such conduct is consistent with the objectives of a democratic society and we, as election administrators, are legally bound to follow judicial precedent and due process," said Justice Chigumba.
"However, in a majority of cases, we often find ourselves at each other's throats on things that we have capacity to change in order for us to minimise conflict with the electoral cycle."
Elections are conducted in terms of a given legal framework promulgated by the legislature and ZEC had no business bending the law but had to uphold the same framework in line with the constitutional dictates of the country, said Justice Chigumba.
"The differences we have as stakeholders on the electoral process in Zimbabwe are perpetuated by our failure to correctly diagnose the problems in order to prescribe effective solutions.
"It is at forums such as these at which stakeholders must exhaust deliberations on their expectations of how elections should be conducted. The purpose of this review workshop is therefore not to point fingers at one another, but to brainstorm and come out with proposals on how we should reform our processes so that they meet the expectations of the majority of stakeholders."
The ZEC chairperson said a review process often led to electoral reform, adding that electoral reform is a broad term that covers, among other things, improving the responsiveness of electoral processes to public desires and expectations.
However, she pointed out that not all electoral changes could be considered electoral reform.
"Electoral change can only be referred to as reform if its primary goal is to improve electoral processes, for example, through fostering enhanced impartiality, inclusiveness, transparency, integrity or accuracy.
"In deliberations, we must also pay due regard to the fact that some changes may be characterised as desirable or even necessary reforms by their proponents, but as improper manipulation by their opponents. Random and frequent electoral change, while it may be reformist, can also be confusing to voters and thus defeat its purpose.
"Frequent change may also negatively affect the sustainability of elections management board operations," said Justice Chigumba.
Elections are not a war but simply a process to choose leaders and should not divide Zimbabwe into camps.
"As the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, we call upon all stakeholders to put differences aside and to decide for our nation what is good for it. We have Zimbabwe to protect and all need to come to the table to deliberate and make framework propositions that improve our electoral processes.
"As we move forward, we need to dwell more on our strengths while we endeavour to address issues that divide us as a nation. We are here to listen more to you and to correct any misconceptions that may have been peddled during the electoral process."
Justice Chigumba said although the review conference should have been held earlier, it was still important to evaluate the 2023 election in preparation for the 2028 harmonised elections.
There was also a need to take cognisance of the fact that time has already been lost in terms of the electoral cycle.
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Justice Chigumba said preparations for the 2028 harmonised elections begin now, by reviewing what was done in the past.
"The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission will not take lightly the deliberations of this workshop but it will consolidate these in order to come up with comprehensive proposals, which will be submitted to the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for possible inclusion in legal reforms."
Officially opening the conference, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Deputy Minister Nobert Mazungunye said the conference should objectively evaluate all elements of last year's general elections to improve future plebiscites.
"This kind of evaluation allows an open and inclusive exercise, gathering information from all participants and using the opportunity to review actions which may have been taken at an administrative level and which may require change," he said.
