Staff Writer
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) says there is need for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to continue increasing the font for displayed voters rolls to cater for those with visual impairment.
In one of the recommendations in Preliminary statement on the Harare East and Mt Pleasant national assembly by-elections, ZESN also encouraged the public to fully use their constitutionally guaranteed civil and political rights by, among other things, participating in voting when elections are conducted.
“ZESN commends the ZEC for significant improvements in the quality of signage used to give direction to the polling stations, the legibility of the voter rolls posted outside polling stations, and the peaceful environment observed during the campaigns.
“National Assembly elections are vital for democratic governance. They shape legislative bodies that create and amend laws, represent citizens’ interests, and enable accountability. These elections empower citizens to influence policies, national direction, and the distribution of power, thereby impacting the lives of all citizens,” the network concluded.
ZESN observed National Assembly by-elections on 27 April 2024 in Harare East and Mt Pleasant Constituencies.
The by-elections were held to fill in vacancies that arose in the Constituencies following the resignation from the National Assembly by former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators for Mt Pleasant and Harare East, Fadzayi Mahere and Allan Markham.
Both Constituencies were won by ZANU-PF candidates with comfortable leads. For instance, Mutimbanyoka Kiven won the by-election with a lead of 1,559 votes, while Mashavave George won with a lead of 2,040 votes.
Whilst Harare East had predominantly been won by opposition parties since 2000, ZANU-PF previously won the seat in the 2015 by-election when Terrence Mukupe of ZANU-PF was declared the winner.
Mt Pleasant has also been an opposition stronghold since 2008, with ZANU-PF winning the seat in 2013 when Jameson Timba of the opposition MDC-T (3 817) lost to Jaisson Passade of ZANU-PF (7 946).
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