Introduction
The purpose of this policy brief is to discuss the timing of the process of delimitation of
electoral boundaries. It articulates why it is more desirable to have the delimitation exercise
before the 2018 elections.
The delimitation of electoral boundaries, which maps out the constituencies and wards in
which people exercise their right to vote is a key aspect of the electoral process. This process,
which is universally acknowledged, is based on provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,
which is the supreme law of the land.
The last delimitation exercise in Zimbabwe was carried out in 2008, shortly before the
harmonised elections held on 29 March. Although the Constitution which applied at the time
required delimitation to take place every 5 years, no delimitation exercise was carried out
before the 2013 general elections. Therefore, by the time the 2018 elections are held,
Zimbabwe would have gone 10 years without any delimitation of electoral boundaries.
The country faces the risk of going into a second election without a delimitation of electoral
boundaries. It is good practice to periodically and regularly review electoral boundaries. It is
argued that failure to perform a delimitation exercise before the 2018 elections is likely to
affect the credibility and legitimacy of the electoral outcome.
The Problem
The major problem is that unless Zimbabwe undertakes a delimitation exercise before the
2018 election, the credibility and legitimacy of that election will be put at risk. This will
affect Zimbabwe’s ability to resolve its long-standing political problem.
However, the relevant data such as the population census data, which is necessary for
purposes of carrying out a proper delimitation exercise is also fast losing reliability with the
passage of time since the last census was conducted in 2012.
It is critical therefore, for the generation of a new data set which can be used to complement
and fill gaps in the census data, in order for a proper delimitation exercise to be undertaken. It
will be critical however, to ensure that the 2018 elections are held on the basis of a new
delimitation exercise.
Why delimitation process matters in elections
Delimitation is an important process which maps out electoral boundaries of voting zones –
constituencies and wards. This exercise is critical in a jurisdiction where the predominant
system of voting is the First-Past-the-Post system based on voters electing their
representatives based on constituencies and wards. Those voting zones have to be accurate
and representative.
The delimitation of accurate boundaries is critical to the success of any election, but it also
requires careful management as it can easily be manipulated. If electoral boundaries are
poorly drawn, it can lead to under-representation of the people in some constituencies which
would have more people, while creating over-representation in other constituencies with
fewer people. The fundamental principle is that electoral boundaries must as far as possible
create equally-represented constituencies with shared community interests. The principle of
one person one vote is based on the core value that each vote must be equal to the other.
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