Regarding electoral processes it was resolved that Zimbabwe needs electoral processes which are free from
political control, accurate , fair, transparent and undertaken with full public participation, particularly that:
Delimitation
It was agreed that, to enhance its independence, the Electoral Commission should be made accountable to
Parliament not to the President or to the Minister for Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. Consequently
it was recommended that the Electoral Commission should report to Parliament.
It was also agreed that this process needs to be conducted in a broadly consultative and participatory
manner.
Accreditation of observers
It was recommended that both international and domestic observers should be involved more and given
early accreditation so that they can observe the entire electoral process beginning with voter registration.
It was further recommended that observation should be open to a broad spectrum of groups, internationally
and regionally, and not subjectively selected.
Voter registration
It was recommended that this process should be administered entirely by the Electoral Commission and
that the office of the Registrar General should be relieved of this role.
The meeting further recommended the review of requirements for voter registration with a view to removing
restrictive demands such as proof of residence.
Any electronic or printed copies of the voter’s roll provided in terms of the legislation should be user friendly
and in a usable format.
Inspection of voters’ roll
The meeting agreed that in order to minimize confusion there need to be a clear and set timeframe for the
inspection of the voters’ roll for any election.
It is also suggested that this process could be synchronised with other processes such as the issuing of
identification documents.
Nomination of candidates
It was agreed that there is a need for adequate education on requirements to enable potential candidates to
submit nomination.
Voter education
It was agreed that adequate voter education should be provided as an ongoing process. The involvement
of all stakeholders was encouraged and it was recommended that civil society should also be allowed to
complement the Electoral Commission.
Postal Votes
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