By Staff Reporter
People’s Unity Party (PUP) leader Herbert Chamuka has condemned the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) proposal to register political parties, calling it a “political gimmick” designed by ZANU-PF to stifle opposition parties.
This comes after the electoral commission drafted a recommendation to compel political parties to formally register.
The move is aimed at curbing the chaos around the nomination process witnessed in the 2023 general elections.
“Protest is the only way to halt ZEC’s plans.
“We can’t let them silence us. ZEC has never come up with anything good for the majority of Zimbabweans.
“The proposal has sparked debate among us the opposition, with many questioning ZEC’s impartiality ahead of the 2028 elections,” Chamuka said in an interview.
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He added that ZEC had a history of favouring the ruling ZANU PF party in its operations and the registration would likely introduce “tight conditions” that would shut out other parties from contesting in the elections.
However, announcing the proposal a few weeks back, ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said, “We are dealing with individuals claiming to represent parties, causing chaos during nominations.
“Registration will bring order and legitimacy.”