The opposition MDC, led by Douglas Mwonzora, claims it has scheduled meetings with three presidents attending the forthcoming SADC Heads of State Summit in Zimbabwe in August to highlight the country’s lack of electoral reforms.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to take over as chairman of SADC when the regional body meets, and the MDC feels this is an opportunity for Zimbabwe to learn about the principles that govern free and fair elections.
“SADC’s coming to Zimbabwe is a good thing as Zimbabwe assumes responsibility in SADC because then Zimbabwean leaders, especially President Mnangagwa, may understand the principles of SADC, especially the principles governing free and fair elections,” Mwonzora said.
The MDC leader stated that his party had no intention of disrupting the SADC meeting and had instead set appointments with three Heads of State to discuss the need for electoral reforms in Zimbabwe.
“Yes, we are going to meet them. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you which Heads of State have agreed to meet us, but we have so far about three,” Mwonzora claimed.
“I can’t tell you who they are because diplomatic protocol does not allow that. I have to see them first, then tell you about them formally.”
Mwonzora stated that electoral reforms were necessary as they would change how electoral systems are run and organized while improving public participation.
“The summarized reforms that we ask for guarantee the secrecy of the vote, the security of the vote, and the security of the voter. Specifically, we want the diaspora vote; we want the people who are outside this country, who are Zimbabweans, to have a say in who rules their country,” he said.
“People outside the country don’t want to remain in the United Kingdom, Botswana, or South Africa forever but want to come back home to a better Zimbabwe and have a say in who governs the country.”
He added that Zimbabweans living in the diaspora had a right to vote because they had shown to be citizens.
“In law, we say it is unfair to have responsibility without rights. People in the diaspora have the responsibility because they are remitting money home but don’t have the right to vote,” said the MDC leader, who argued that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) also needed to be independent.
“We want the reformation of ZEC. ZEC is not independent; we are not worried about the commission itself but worried about the committees under the commission.”
Mwonzora cited committees such as the accreditation committee and logistics committees, which he claimed are populated by staff from the Executive, such as Central Intelligence Operatives, Home Affairs, Justice, and Foreign Affairs ministries.
Mwonzora also said that since ZEC is financially dependent on the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the minister or the Executive has the “power of the purse” over the commission.
“We want that gone,” he said, adding that it was also wrong for the European Union (EU) to fund ZEC.
“When the EU was funding ZEC, ZEC did not improve. ZEC had a serious delimitation report, so the money from the EU was not helping anything but was furthering corruption at ZEC.”
Last year, after the elections, the EU Embassy in Harare declared that Brussels would withdraw $5 million in financial support from ZEC owing to a lack of independence and transparency in the disputed August polls and how the commission conducted the country’s August general election.
In its final election observer mission report, the EU Election Observation Mission said the Zimbabwean authorities’ lack of cooperation during the electoral period played a significant role in the EU’s decision to withdraw funding from ZEC.
Meanwhile, the MDC leader said the opposition party will continue demanding specific electoral reforms and has reconstituted the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) where political parties and civil society meet over electoral reforms.
“In a few weeks, you will be seeing NERA roll out its program. We are doing something about reforms as the MDC; we don’t believe in voodoo politics. We don’t say God is in it, we say God is in us,” Mwonzora said.
“God gives us the brain to challenge. God does not just stand there when you do nothing; he will do something. God does not work that way; we believe God works within us.”
