Zimbabwe: Constitutional Amendment Bill No.3 Debate - You Do Not End Violence By Abolishing Elections - Opposition MP Says

CITIZENS Coalition for Change (CCC) MP Thomas Muwodzeri has accused the government of using electoral violence as an excuse to curtail Zimbabweans' democratic rights, telling Parliament that authorities should fix broken institutions rather than abolish elections.

Muwodzeri's remarks were a direct response to submissions made by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi during the Bill's second reading on Wednesday.

Contributing to the parliamentary debate on the controversial Bill, Thursday, Muwodzeri took direct aim at Ziyambi's argument that recurring allegations of violence and disputed election outcomes justify changes to the presidential electoral system.

"The argument that the model reduces electoral violence is an admission of institutional failure, not a constitutional solution," Muwodzeri told Parliament.

He argued that if Presidential elections are marred by violence, the solution lies in reforming law enforcement agencies and ensuring those responsible for violence are prosecuted rather than removing citizens' right to vote directly for the country's leader.

"If presidential elections are violent, then the answer is to reform and strengthen law enforcement and the prosecution of persons causing the violence rather than remove the vote from the citizen altogether.

"You do not kill electoral violence by abolishing elections," Muwodzeri said.

The Justice Minister told Parliament that every presidential election held since 2002 had been accompanied by allegations of violence, rigging and lack of transparency.

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