Rutendo Bamu and Erasmus Mabhebhura

Election Resource Centre (ERC) yesterday launched a compendium that can be used as a resource tool in monitoring the legal framework governing elections in Zimbabwe, saying the country still need to implement three-pronged reforms..

ERC director Tawanda Chimhini said their analysis prioritise major issues which can change the conduct  of elections in the country as it periodically measures what is presented as reforms against the prevailing electoral legal.

“Our methodology pick up major issues on what actually needs to be done to change the way in which elections are held in Zimbabwe,” Chimhini said.

He further stated that the comprehensive electoral reforms remain pending, notwithstanding the establishment of an executive driven, Inter-Ministerial Taskforce on political and electoral reforms.

Chimhini added t there was no electoral reforms when the supreme law was not reformed and unconstitutional provisions are still in use.

“While everyone talks about the need to align laws with Constitution as an urgent priority, not much is said about the undeterred use of unconstitutional provisions maintained on the statutes. Sadly, there appears to be some comfort with unconstitutional provisions in the statutes, hence the slow pace of alignment of laws with the Constitution” he said.

Chimhini appreciated efforts by civil society groups in advocating for electoral reforms through proposing draft provisions to support electoral reforms.

He said since Parliament was the conduit through which reforms would be debated and settled, they hope legislators will test each and every reform proposal contained in Bills coming from the Executive to measure the extent to which findings of analysis are addressed.

ERC hopes that its analysis will help political parties in their dialogue and engagement on how future elections can be legislatively improved.