Priscilla Chigumba, newly appointed Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), on Thursday pledged to deliver free, fair and credible elections scheduled for mid this year.
Ms. Chigumba made the pledge after being sworn in by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the State House.
She replaces Rita Makarau who resigned in December 2017.
“It is a delight to serve one’s country in this capacity as chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, and I promise the people of Zimbabwe that I will deliver a free, fair and credible election,’’ she said on the swearing-in ceremony.
She also promised to look into concerns being raised by various political parties and stakeholders relating to the forthcoming polls.
Some political parties have complained of voter intimidation and have questioned the impartiality of ZEC but Ms. Chigumba said as a judge, she was well versed with the requirements of the law and would administer it according to its dictates.
She also said ZEC would produce a credible voters’ roll considering that questions have been raised in the past about the credibility of the voters’ roll.
The country is using a biometric voter registration system for the first time to try and address the issue about the credibility of the voters’ roll.
Mr. Mnangagwa has said elections would be held in five months’ time.
