In addition, there are now literally millions of Zimbabweans living abroad but may
be eligible to vote. All these persons are denied the vote simply because they
cannot be physically present in the constituencies on polling day. If there were no
restrictions, the registered voters in the Diaspora would potentially be able to
vote in this way.
There has been much clamour for the so-called Diaspora vote in recent years. It
has already been noted in previous articles how Zimbabwe lags behind other
countries in the region such as South Africa and Mozambique which permit
Diaspora voting and in the case of Mozambique, have taken active steps to
register voters in the Diaspora to ensure that they exercise their right to vote.
Zimbabwe needs to adopt a similarly open approach to ensure it has a truly
representative government.
ZESN acknowledges that there are risks involved in broadening the postal voting
facility but rather than close the door completely, the solution would be to
introduce secure mechanisms to ensure that votes are authentic and immune to
tampering.
Voting By Soldiers
It is also noted that special voting is restricted to electoral officers and members
of the “disciplined forces” who are responsible for performing security duties
during election days. This refers to members of the Police and Defence Forces
who will perform duties during polling days. Accredited election observers will
also be eligible to apply for special voting. The applicants must demonstrate that
they will be away from their constituencies on electoral duty. Special voting will
take place in advance of the main election at special polling stations that are
designated by the Commission and will be open to observation by accredited
observers. Voting at these special polling stations will be conducted over two days
in order to minimise disruption to security duties.
ZESN notes that voting by members of the defence forces and the police has
always been contentious because it has traditionally been shrouded in secrecy
and there have been allegations that junior members who constitute the majority
of these forces are commanded to vote in specific ways. Voting in barracks is
itself very contentious as it is not a suitable venue for the expression of free will.
The lack of proper observation of such voting processes has also been criticised in
the past. To the extent that the designation of district voting centres for such
special voting will be done by the Commission, this is a useful development.
No Voting in Barracks
In particular, voting must not be conducted in barracks or police stations. The
process must be subject to the same scrutiny by electoral officials, election
agents and observers as voting at ordinary polling stations on polling days. It is
important that members of the forces vote in peace and with knowledge that they
are not required to follow the orders of their superiors. Transparent voting
procedures and scrutiny of the process are therefore important supporting
mechanisms.
Extend to the elderly, disabled, etc
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