Polling agents to verify Presidential returns: ZEC
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says it will start releasing results of the Presidential elections from the constituencies across the country after completing the legal processes prescribed by law.
Speaking after announcement of the last batch of parliamentary election results, ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said after the release of the constituency results, the electoral body will proceed to announce the full tally from the Presidential results.
She said collation of the Presidential results is done at the National Results Centre and the V11 form returns are already at the centre for verification in the presence of all the 23 Presidential candidates’ representatives.
“The presidential candidates’ agents have to be there for the verification process,” said Justice Chigumba. “They have to sift through the V11 forms and actually agree with the tally.”
Justice Chigumba urged the Presidential candidates’ representatives to present themselves to the Secretariat for the process to begin.
Justice Chigumba reiterated that political parties complaining of any electoral malpractices have to resort to two remedies available at their disposal, namely: reporting to the police or seeking legal recourse at the Electoral Court.
MDC-Alliance presidential candidate Mr Nelson Chamisa’s representatives Mr Morgen Komichi and Jameson Timba presented themselves for the verification process.
ZEC acting chief elections officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana said ZEC was still within the stipulated time limit to announce the results in terms of the law. Results should be announced by August 4 in terms of the Electoral Act.
Addressing the media following MDC Alliance-instigated violence in Harare yesterday, President Mnangagwa said hooliganism came as a “complete surprise” as the electoral process was peaceful and the Presidential election results were going through legal formalities.
“As I address you, results for par- liamentary seats are all but fully announced, with those for Presidential candidates waiting for legal formalities before they are similarly announced.
“Like the campaigning and voting process, this stage in our whole electoral process started off peacefully,” President Mnangagwa said.
“Against this background, incidents of wanton violence and hooliganism which broke out this afternoon in the capital come as a complete surprise.
“We hold the opposition MDC Alliance and its whole leadership responsible for this disturbance of national peace, which was meant to disrupt the electoral process.”