Zimbabwean election watchdog points to voter list irregularities

Jan 21, 2011, 11:54 GMT

Harare - An election watchdog group in Zimbabwe has unveiled a report alleging that 27 per cent of names on the country's voters list are of dead people, highlighting the irregularities which have been a major worry to the country's political parties.

Tinoziva Bere, chairman of Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network (ZESN), a pro-democracy non-governmental group, explained the results of the group's report in an interview with the German Press Agency dpa.

He said his organization had studied an outdated and thoroughly distorted voters roll that was little more than a register of people who were born or once lived in the country from the 1900s onward, with no indication of whether they were still alive or may have left the country.

'We want the government to challenge it if it can,' Bere said about his group's findings.

ZESN called for a new register of voters to be prepared before elections which President Robert Mugabe has said must take place this year.

The group's study of the voter list showed that 27 per cent of the names on it were of people who were deceased.

The computer-aided study of the list turned up the names of 2,344 people born between 1901 and 1909 - which would make them 101 to 110 years old. It also revealed 9 people born between 1890 and 1900 - putting their ages at between 111 and 120 years.

According to the World Health Organisation, average life expectancy in Zimbabwe is 37 years for females and 34 years for males.

The election list has long been known to be inaccurate, with critics accusing Mugabe and his ZANU PF party of benefiting from it.

'There is need to draw up a new voters roll in Zimbabwe which will go a long way in improving the currency, accuracy and completeness of the voters roll. The process should be transparent and inclusive to ensure that all eligible persons are registered,' the ZESN said.

Last year the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) appointed by Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said it did not have the funds to compile a fresh register.

Zimbabwean Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga, commenting on the report, said the country needed a fresh register to avoid future election disputes.

'I am sure no one would want to go into an election whose roll is being disputed,' said Matinenga, an appointee of Tsvangirai, told dpa.

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