By Staff Reporter
The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has raised serious concerns regarding the voters’ roll that has been made available for public scrutiny, prompting the opposition movement to petition the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).
In a letter addressed to the ZEC, the CCC highlighted various errors and discrepancies that deviate from constitutional standards, casting doubt on the credibility of the upcoming elections.
The CCC expressed its disappointment, stating, “As the Citizens Coalition for Change, we have observed significant anomalies in the voters’ roll that has been presented for public inspection. A comprehensive examination across all ten (10) provinces has revealed numerous errors, both in terms of omissions and inclusions, which clearly deviate from the constitutional requirements for a credible voters’ roll,”
Among the primary concerns highlighted in the initial reports is the absence of names of eligible voters who had previously participated in the 2018 general elections and the March 2022 by-elections.
These registered voters, who were present on the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) online inspection platform, have suddenly vanished from both the current online platforms and the voters’ roll available for public scrutiny.
Furthermore, CCC says it appears that the voters’ roll under inspection is not synchronized with the newly delineated boundaries.
Consequently, prospective voters have been displaced from their residential wards.
“The relocation of registered voters to polling stations and wards several kilometers away from their original locations contradicts ZEC’s assurance to stakeholders that delimitation boundaries would be adjusted according to polling areas,” the CCC asserted.
Another point of contention raised in the letter is the presence of the Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ) organization at the Inspection Centers.
The CCC has accused FAZ officials of interfering with and, in some instances, controlling the inspection process.
In light of these concerns, the CCC has urgently requested a meeting with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to address the observed anomalies and discrepancies in the voters’ roll.
