Story by John Nhandara
Parliament has adopted the Ad hoc Committee’s recommendations on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Preliminary Delimitation Report.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi said after the adoption of the report by legislators across the political divide, Parliament will now present its findings and recommendations to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for consideration.
“For the past two days, we have been debating the report with a view of adopting it or rejecting it. So, after the debate the house resolved that let’s submit recommendations as per the report from the Adhoc committee to His Excellency for onward transmission to ZEC, detailing areas that Parliament feels should be corrected by ZEC,” he said.
The ZEC Preliminary Delimitation Report was tabled before Parliament on the 6th of this month with the August house setting up an Ad hoc Committee to analytically consider and unpack the report and table its findings and recommendations in the National Assembly and Senate for debate.
In the report that was adopted by Parliament, the Ad hoc Committee raised a number of issues that include insufficient information in description of wards, maps that do not show old and existing boundaries as well as ward boundaries that were delimitated above and below the maximum and minimum thresholds.
Despite some legislators criticizing the report, both the lower house and upper house have no powers to reject the ZEC Delimitation Report but can only give recommendations to the President.
After the President studies the recommendations by the legislature, he can then instruct ZEC to look at them and action.
The delimitation process is the first step in the 2023 harmonised election process and once complete with constituency boundaries in place, the President can then in due course make proclamation of the election dates after which the nomination court sits to finalise candidates.
Once the nomination is done, campaigning can start.
