CCC presses ZEC for electronic voters roll for analysis of delimitation report

HARARE – The draft delimitation report produced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and tabled in parliament can only be accurately analysed when political parties have access to the voters’ roll, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) said on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe’s main opposition party is trading with caution over the report which is set to be debated in parliament on January 17.

CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the delimitation report by and large retained boundaries used in 2007 despite population growth and higher numbers of registered voters.

“It’s untenable, if not farcical, to go to an election in 2023 with boundaries based on data that is more than three election cycles out of date,” Mahere told a news conference in Harare.

The CCC is however reserving its criticism until it has been served an electronic copy of the voters’ roll, which ZEC has so far refused to release to the party.

“It’s not the best delimitation report, but it’s also not the worst at the same time,” Mahere said.

“It offers a useful starting point. I think what’s crucial in its entirety is what’s going to happen from here. Efforts must go towards improving the delimitation draft report so that we have boundaries that are in sync with the population and registration data.

“We demand the electronic copy of the voters roll. Everything, when it comes to delimitation, turns on the voters roll, and it tells us the number of voters in any given area. We can’t have figures being given without the voters roll, that’s not enough, we have to see the actual voters roll.”

The law requires ZEC to produce a delimitation report at least six months before elections become due. General elections are due in August.

The delimitation report has elicited mixed reactions across the political spectrum, with some Zanu PF officials arguing that it favours the opposition over their own interests.

Traditionally, urban constituencies have been strongholds of the opposition, while rural areas have been dominated by Zanu PF. The CCC says there should have been more constituencies added in urban areas, particularly in Harare.

In parliament on January 6, opposition lawmakers demanded copies of the electronic voters roll before debating the delimitation report on January 17.

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