ZEC to decide when to resume electoral activities

Harare (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will soon review possible timelines for the resumption of electoral activities which were suspended in January this year following a spike in Covid-19 cases.

The country has been under level 4 COVID-19 lockdown since January, which was only relaxed last week as infections eased.

In light of the changed circumstances, ZEC said it would determine when to resume electoral activities.

“Contrary to some reports, the commission has not resumed any electoral activities as you may be aware the current relaxed lockdown measures were announced on 01 March 2021, hence the commission will deliberate on the appropriate time to resume electoral activities,” ZEC tweeted.

“The commission is only conducting preliminary delimitation desk work. Some pilot ground work was conducted last year when lockdown measures were relaxed.”

One of the most important electoral activities that was suspended by government, on health safety grounds, was the holding of by-elections.

The country was supposed to hold parliamentary and local government by-elections before the end of 2020 to fill vacancies which have arisen, chiefly from the massive recalls of opposition parliamentarians and councillors.

But these could not go ahead as planned because of a brutal second wave of COVID-19, which hit the country starting December last year.

However, other electoral activities including voter registration, voters’ roll inspection and registration transfers remained open.
New Ziana