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Walter Nyamukondiwa Kariba Bureau
Government’s commitment to implementing electoral and political reforms is encouraging and should be complemented by an inclusive stakeholder input platform, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has described.

ZESN said the setting up of a taskforce to look into the political and electoral reform process and statements by its officials set the right tone for consolidation of the country’s electoral process.

ZESN chairperson Mr Andrew Makoni said the time-frames being given by Government for completion of the electoral reform process were positive steps towards improving the system.

“It is a welcome development that Government has set up a taskforce to look into, among other things,  political and electoral reforms,” said Mr Makoni.

“We note those statements (by Ministers of Justice and Foreign Affairs) and it is encouraging that Government is making those statements, and we think it indicates the commitment within Government to institute electoral reforms.”

Mr Makoni said there was need for a platform that brings together various stakeholders, including civic society and faith-based organisations, to make their input into the process.

Government has indicated its intention to complete the electoral reform process by mid-2020, with Parliament aiming to finalise its processes by end of October.

Mr Makoni said the country’s electoral system compared favourably with others in the region and beyond, but needed fine-tuning.

“In our view, our electoral system is good, even if you were to compare it to what other countries are using,” he said.

“A desirable electoral system depends on the context within which it is used.

“The reason why we think the electoral system is good is that it tends to combine elements of both the proportional representation system and the majoritarian system or first-past-the-post system.

“It brings together the strengths of the two systems. By merging the two, we try and resolve in a way the challenge that lies in each of the systems.”

Mr Makoni said the electorate should not take elections as an event, but a process they should be involved in throughout.

“We would like the electorate to join us (ZESN) in the push for electoral reforms and even when the time comes for  public hearings by Parliament on the Electoral Amendment Bill, the public should participate as we seek to improve the extent to which our elections are democratic,” he said.

Mr Makoni said 223 recommendations from the 2018 harmonised elections which were highlighted by observer missions have been synthesised into 115 recommendations which Government should take on board.