By Correspondent
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has revealed numbers which it purports show people’s support for CAB3.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday the Committee’s Chairperson, Eddison Zvobgo Jnr said they had received about 540 037 submissions on CAB3.
“From that 537 102 supported the amendments while 2 935 were against.
“The majority of submissions strongly supported transferring the responsibility for voter registration, as well as compiling and maintaining the voters’ roll, from ZEC to the Civil Registry Department (Registrar-General).
Zvobgo said participants argued that the Registrar-General is uniquely positioned to maintain an accurate, up-to-date voters’ roll, effectively preventing the prolonged inclusion of deceased or non-existent individuals.
The Committee also noted that leveraging on vital civil records provides a distinct technical advantage in maintaining an accurate voters’ roll.
Meanwhile, they also acknowledged concerns surrounding the need for institutional independence for the electoral body.
During its deliberations the Committee observed the significant investments already made by ZEC.
This includes the acquisition of biometric equipment for effective voter registration and also the poll-based voting system which was introduced in 2018.
Among some of its major recommendations the Committee pushed for adoption of Clause 2.
The Clause deals with the election of the President changing the method to a Parliamentary system where only MPs vote.
This it says will decisively address historical challenges where deceased individuals have remained on the voters’ roll.
“The majority of submissions strongly favoured the amendment.
“(They argued) that the proposed model would foster greater collaboration and mutual confidence between the Executive and the Parliament.
“Ultimately enhancing governance and policy alignment.
Zvobgo said electing the president through Parliament would also reduce the immense financial costs of organising nationwide presidential elections.
Proponents of CAB3
Proponents of CAB3 argue that past elections had been marred by political tension, violence and contestation especially in respect of results for Presidential elections.
This, they argue, can be resolved by having only MPs vote for the President.
The rest of the citizenry will express their electoral agency for the President through their MPs.
Efforts by some opposition MPs to postpone debate on the Bill due to pending Court cases failed as Speaker Jacob Mudenda ruled that the reserved judgement recently given was judgement enough.
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