‘Ratification of democracy charter is not enough’
THE Elections Resource Centre (ERC) has urged Zimbabwe to fully implement the African Charter for Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) to ensure it put in place good electoral, human rights and democratic principles in the forthcoming 2023 polls.
In a statement yesterday, ERC said ratification of the African Union (AU) charter was not enough as President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government needed to show determination to implement the charter and existing laws that speak to democracy and rule of law during elections.
Mnangagwa recently ratified ACDEG, three years after Zimbabwe had signed the AU protocol to ratify the charter.
To date, 34 African countries have ratified ACDEG.
The charter seeks to address African problems such as economic development, poverty alleviation, free and fair elections and human rights.
“While the ratification is a positive step, we note that the credibility crisis Zimbabwe has faced has not been a result of the failure to ratify the charter, but the failure to implement existing legal frameworks meant to realise credible elections,” the ERC statement read in part.
“Without the government’s will to fully implement the ACDEG and existing laws aimed at achieving free, fair and credible elections, the ratification will be an exercise in futility. ERC remains concerned at electoral stakeholder’s failure to comply with local laws, and the reluctance of the government to implement reforms necessary to ensure free, fair and credible elections.”
Constitutional law expert James Tsabora said: “Government will likely comply with ACDEG because it will be used as an additional barometer to measure the freeness and fairness of elections or other issues of democracy and governance. When governance checks are done by international organisations including the United Nations human rights treaty system, they check on the laws of that country to see whether the country is fully implementing the provisions.”
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) chairperson Andrew Makoni said: “The signing of the instrument is significant because Zimbabwe will be bound by the provision of the charter. The next step for the government is to deposit the instrument with the African Union Commission. It will be easier for the citizens to monitor issues of governance, and to check whether they are in sync with other legislation that is already in existence, to promote democracy.”
Electoral watchdog bodies urged government to ensure timely depositing of the charter with the AU in order for Zimbabwe to become a full State party to the ACDEG.