Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has defended proposed electoral reforms contained in Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3, saying they will strengthen the credibility of Zimbabwe’s electoral system by addressing longstanding sources of post-election disputes.
Presenting the Second Reading of the Bill in Parliament, Ziyambi said the proposed amendments were designed to improve institutional clarity in key areas including voter registration, constituency delimitation and election administration.
He told lawmakers that one of the most significant changes would be the transfer of voter registration and the maintenance of the voters’ roll from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to the Registrar General’s Office.
According to the minister, the move would create a more accurate and continuously updated voters’ roll, reducing disputes over voter eligibility.
“This is not a novelty and it is not a partisan measure. The current system under the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission depends on periodic updates that often become a source of contention,” Ziyambi said.
In defending the proposal, he pointed to previous parliamentary debates, arguing that the idea had once received support from opposition legislators.
Ziyambi cited proceedings from the Committee Stage of the Electoral Amendment Bill on 18 May 2023, saying opposition MP Charlton Hwende had proposed transferring voter registration responsibilities to the Registrar General.
He said the proposal had also received support from opposition figures including Tendai Biti and Alan Markham.
“It is recorded in the Hansard of that day, a public document. I told them what I tell this honourable House now. I agreed with them,” he said.
“The Bill is therefore not introducing a new concept but completing an earlier parliamentary consensus that had been blocked by constitutional constraints.”
The minister also defended proposed changes to the delimitation process, which would see the establishment of a dedicated Zimbabwe Delimitation Commission responsible for drawing electoral boundaries.
He argued that separating delimitation from election administration would enhance the independence of the process and reduce allegations of constituency boundary manipulation.
“No one who runs the race also draws the field. This separation will reduce accusations of manipulation of constituency boundaries,” he said.
Ziyambi said the reforms were intended to improve public confidence in elections by addressing procedural weaknesses that have often fuelled legal and political disputes after voting.
“By consolidating voter registration under civil records and separating delimitation from electoral administration, the Bill will significantly reduce the grounds for legal and political disputes after elections,” he said.
“The overall aim is to strengthen trust in electoral outcomes and ensure that results are accepted as legitimate within a clearer, more predictable constitutional framework.”
The proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 has generated significant debate, with supporters arguing that it will improve governance and electoral administration, while critics have raised concerns about its potential impact on the independence of electoral institutions and democratic accountability.
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