HARARE – The United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) has joined the main opposition CCC in condemning the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for bungling the just-ended harmonised elections.
In a statement on Monday, losing presidential candidate Elisabeth Valerio’s party cited inordinate delays in the delivery of ballot papers at some polling stations and politically motivated violence as some of the factors that marred the plebiscite.
In the election, President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared winner with a 52,6 percent vote while CCC leader and close challenger Nelson Chamisa garnered 44 percent of the national vote.
Zanu PF also kept its parliamentary majority with 136 seats while CCC got 73.
UZA spokesperson Elvis Dzvene cited unclear print on the presidential ballot paper which he said unfairly disadvantaged his party’s candidate, who polled 6,989 votes.
Dzvene said Mnangagwa’s image was clearer on the ballot paper.
He also bemoaned ZEC’s inability to avail local authority ballot papers on time despite earlier assurances by the poll authority that all was in order.
“The development potentially caused voter apathy,” Dzvene said.
“Many of the citizens that remained at the affected polling stations were forced to vote at night causing safety concerns.
“Many of these stations also did not have adequate lighting. This created unnecessary challenges for the electorate in the affected polling stations and causes us great concern as a political party.
“We now question the credibility and accuracy of the votes counted under such circumstances.”
UZA said it was also outraged by the disenfranchisement of voters who failed to find their names on the voters roll and the unprofessional conduct of some polling officers who delayed the voting process.
Dzvene added that the involvement of Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ) in running the poll and the Zanu PF appendage group’s voter intimidation tactics also played a huge part in discrediting the poll.
“There have also been numerous cases of politically motivated violence and widespread reports from the electorate about exit interview desks which were set up a few meters from polling stations.
“Most felt intimidated by the presence of these desks as they had Zanu PF cloths. Voters felt they were being watched. This all renders the election unfair,” he said.
CCC has led the way in voicing disapproval over the running of a poll that has been roundly condemned by election observer missions.
