Zimbabwe Electoral Commission


Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is an independent Chapter 12 institution established in terms of Section 238 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe; which is responsible for the management and administration of Zimbabwe's electoral processes. It was initially established by the act of Parliament in 2004, with influence from its predecessor, the Electoral Supervisory Commission as well as the Southern African Development Community.

Official functions

Providing voter education which is:

The Commission

The commission comprises eight commissioners who are appointed by the president. The chairperson is appointed after consultation with the judicial service commission, and the other seven are appointed from a list of nominees supplied by the Parliamentary Committee on Standing Rules and Orders. There is also a Chief Elections Officer charged with the day-to-day running of the commission.
Hon Justice Priscilla ChigumbaChairperson
Rodney KiwaDeputy Chairperson
Utloile SilaigwanaChief Elections Officer
Faith SebataCommissioner
Joyce KazembeCommissioner
Ngoni KundidzoraCommissioner
Daniel ChigaruCommissioner
Netsai MushongaCommissioner
Sibongile NdlovuCommissioner
Qhubani MoyoCommissioner

Criticism

On numerous occasions the ZEC has been dubbed biased and their independence questioned by opposition parties as well as international Independent media.

Political violence and intimidation

Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change party believes that the June 2008 elections could not be conducted fairly due to election violence which Tsvangirai believes was state-sponsored, and in most cases performed by the state militia. He also claims that members of the police, Zimbabwe National Army, and prison officers were being "forced" to vote Zanu-PF. According to Tsvangirai the ZEC has failed to condemn whisperings among Zanu-PF officials that president Robert Mugabe will continue to rule regardless of electoral results, which has encouraged groups of War Veterans to provoke violence.

Media

MDC also claim that the Commission fails to conduct its duties of regulation efficiently as it has failed to act on the Zimbabwean media, such as the state-run Herald newspaper, which they are required to do in their mandate. Critics state that this information is completely one-sided against the opposition and in favour of Robert Mugabe and the incumbent Zanu-PF party, as well as being incorrect, and inciting racial, religious and political hatred, and blame the commission for failing to monitor this.