***Retrospective*** Registration starts on wrong note WRITTEN BY NGHIDIPO NANGOLO THURSDAY, 23 JANUARY 2014 06:12 To brand the first week of voter registrations that started on 15 January, and is expected to go on until 2 March, as confusing, chaotic and sluggish to say the least, could be an understatement. However, numerous complaints from various parts of the country could perhaps justify much stronger labels that will diminish confidence in the process so early, regardless of its humble beginning since the transformation from a manual to an automated voting system. The latest complaints from the public include dubious sworn statements, and people being sent away for lack of national civic documents, tertiary and other students without municipal and telephone accounts, and computer breakdowns. All in all, many are attributing the glitches being experienced to the absence of unambiguous policy guidelines that cover all the likely teething troubles to arise, notwithstanding pending Electoral Act amendments currently before parliament. All the troubles come at the backdrop of repeated calls in the last two years to amend the Electoral Act as early as possible, so as to clear up all ambiguities related to elections with the objective not to give the opposition, individuals or any other interested party any reason to question the integrity of the process. It is ironic that the lawmakers have defied logic not to speed-up the Electoral Act amendments to ensure free and fair elections, and instead brush aside anyone who wanted to know when the Electoral Act amendments would be tabled and effected. Two years ago in a watershed case, the High Court dismissed the election challenge by nine opposition parties for substantial want of evidence, but at the same time the court rebuked ECN for being ‘guilty of reprehensible conduct’ relating to a voters’ register during the contentious 2009 national elections. As a result of outdated and scattered electoral legislation, the court did then advise the ECN, by extension lawmakers, to consolidate the electoral law as a matter of urgency before the 2014 elections. Alas! Now we are in the same doldrums. The state, via the ECN, took a bold step to modernise future elections, and that’s why voter registration and the actual voting by the end of this year will be electronic. Unfortunately, so far there has been no media or visible voter education and many do not even know what electronic voting machines (EVMs) look like. Since the majority of voters are literally illiterate, the situation could worsen, in a country where many are denied their right to exercise their democratic right to register and to vote at the end of this year. ECN needs to accelerate voter education in the media, on social networks and via churches, community and traditional institutions. It is reprehensible for the ECN to be oblivious to the need for an aggressive media and community voter education campaign at this very crucial moment of the first phase of the voting process. Flimsy excuses and blaming red tape on the existing, rigid provisions of the Electoral Act, seems like passing the buck. What the citizenry expects is a flawless process, now that the ECN has adopted new electronic technology, to move away from accusations of electoral manipulation and possible fraud to a credible and authentic process of voter registration, and actual casting of the ballot at the end of the year.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 06:23:45 +0000
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