The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission yesterday started opening, verifying and tallying ballot papers cast nationwide during the special vote held between July 14 and 15. The process was done in the presence of political parties, regional and international observers.ZEC chief elections officer Mr Lovemore Sekeramayi and his deputy Mr Utoile Silaigwana superintended over the process while some commissioners also attended. Zanu-PF and MDC-T hailed the process saying it was transparent to the extent that no manipulation of results could be done.
Zanu-PF secretary for security and State Security Minister Sydney Sekeramayi who attended the initial opening said the process proved to the whole world that the commission was transparent in running its affairs. “They are opening ballots in the presence of various political parties, among them Zanu-PF and the MDC formations,” he said.
“Those who suspect that there are tricks being played, people are manipulating and wanting to rig were obviously quite anxious. But as the process is going on, it is clear that everything is above board and people will do the counting. At the end of the day, it will be demonstrated that there was no chicanery.
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is a Government organ and as Government if there are any problems with it, we have to help them solve the problem instead of rubbishing and condemning the whole process.”
Full Article: allAfrica.com: Zimbabwe: ZEC Opens Special Ballots (Page 1 of 2).