The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says it has close to 200 political parties in its database and this has created challenges that affects the Commissions work.
In an interview with a local radio station, ZEC spokesperson Commissioner Jasper Mangwana said of the 200 political parties less than 10 percent participate in elections.
“We actually have a database of close to 200 political parties of which less than 10 % of them participate in elections if you look at the 2018 ballot paper for the presidential candidate 23 Presidential candidates just imagine the logistics, the calculations and the design of the ballot paper all these issues have to affect and some of them just come to disrupt multi party engagements.
“Currently, if just wake up in the morning you can actually print yourself a banner and go there make a press statement and say I am now…… party and I am going to contest in the 2023 elections, you can write us a simple letter and we accept it and then you are already in the database of the Commission and you are able to contest in the 2023 elections,” said Mangwana
He said the Commission has since made recommendations to the Ministry of Justice seeking registration and regulation of political parties.
“We have already recommendations to the Ministry of Justice one of them includes the registration and regulation of political parties. This is very important because currently we do have a code of conduct which is more of a gentlemen’s agreement which in essence says what we agree, how do we move, there are not much binding issues.
“The competing people have to agree the way forward but if you don’t have a regulator and a register of political parties it’s difficult to control the political environment that is why as a Commission we made that recommendation. We recommend that if there is a registrar of political parties who then regulates them and puts rules so that political parties must adhere to, if they have an issue they go to and we only receive a list from there.” he said.
