Residents call for BVR extension

areas.”

Ms Chimanikire said Government should publicise the last phase and an extension of BVR through bulk messages and other forms of electronic media to ensure all voters are aware of the dates.

“The final voters’ roll should be subjected to audit to ensure that it meets the key principles of voter registration and the elements of a good voter’s roll,” she said.

Mr James Mundenda, director of Governance and National Constitutional Educational Trust (GANCET) commended the consultation on the Electoral Amendment Bill and said it should address many issues in order to make next year’s election free and fair.

He said delimitation of constituencies was a key area that Government needed to look into.

“The problem we have is that delimitation has not been carried out for a considerable length of time and there was no delimitation after the 2012 census,” he said.

“If there is to be strict adherence to the constitution, the next delimitation will only be carried out after the next census is due. This would be an unduly long time since the last delimitation. It may well be that the current constituencies do not meet and may far exceed the numbers.

“It is important to make provision for a delimitation exercise before the 2018 election to ensure that the constitution’s requirements for the general equality of constituencies are met.”

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has in the past ruled out conducting a new delimitation of constituencies, saying it would conduct elections using the gazetted constituencies and wards.

There was general consensus that the Electoral Amendment Bill should not be selective, but address the right to vote of prisoners, those living in the Diaspora and people with disabilities.

Mr Wallace Mupfumwa, a director from the Freedom to the disabled persons in Zimbabwe said there was need to ensure that polling stations were accessible for people with disabilities.

“People with disabilities have a right to vote and that right can only be realised if they are able to access the polling stations,” he said. “ZEC should ensure that there is easy access to all polling stations and there are provisions for polling officers who can use sign language should the need arise.”

The consultations will pave way for the alignment of the Electoral Bill with the new constitution.