Role of parliament in electoral reform
By Hon. T.S Chipanga (Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs)
Introduction
The electoral reform process is a permanent feature of any democratic
society. Each country is unique and as such will implement reforms, which
take into account its political realities. Parliament plays an important role in
the enactment of the electoral laws, which seek to capture the peoples’
hopes, wishes and aspirations. Any electoral reform should seek to create
peace, stability and an enabling environment, where citizens are free to
exercise their choice in a democratic manner.
The role of Parliament in the electoral reform process cannot be over
emphasised. The policy makers can either impede or promote the reform
process and therefore important that the policy makers are informed and
educated about the need for electoral reform. Without this knowledge, the
reforms can be manipulated to gain political mileage or they can be used to
advance the interests of the general public. At most electoral reforms are
conducted as a result of number of factors that include among many; voter
apathy, responsiveness to international developments, political party and
internal and external observers assessments of the electoral performance etc.
Parliament Of Zimbabwe and The Electoral Reform Process
The Zimbabwe electoral system is heavily borrowed from the British
system, which uses the first past the post (FPTP). Since 1980, the country
has been conducting its major elections on a periodic and regular basis. The
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