The ManicaPost
TOMORROW, March 26th, by-elections will be held in several wards and constituencies across the country to fill up vacancies that emerged from deaths and recalls of councillors and Members of Parliament.
The build-up to the elections has been fairly peaceful, save for a few politically motivated skirmishes that were recorded here and there.
The right to vote is universal and it is enshrined in the Constitution that it is one’s choice to exercise it without any cohesion.
In the past few weeks, the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) has deployed hundreds of officials who are moving around educating residents on the need to vote peacefully.
Besides displaying various voter education material in public places, the officials are also engaging in one-on-one discussions with members of the public as they disseminate valuable information about the elections.
In the same vein, we urge candidates and their respective political parties to preach the gospel of peace.
Peace must prevail before, during and after the elections.
Those who are campaigning for the seats need to calm down their supporters and inform them that casting a ballot is more important than engaging in fights that do not make up the numbers.
In most cases of political violence, youths have been fingered as the source of the skirmishes and should guard against this.
Political violence is a crime that attracts harsh penalties and sentences.
Those who are used to perpetrate violence must know that law enforcement agents will come hard on them and the courts will impose harsh sentences when they are found on the wrong side of the law.
What normally happens is that those who instigate the violence run away once the disturbances erupt, leaving their followers in the thick of things.
They will be nowhere to be found when all hell breaks loose and sadly the long arm of the law will catch up with those caught in the act.
Responsible youths must not be fooled to start up fights based on political affiliation because the crime will always come back to haunt them.
Elections are a game of numbers and violence has never been a good tactic to win people to your side.
As people go to the polls, we urge the police to be vigilant and ensure a smooth flow of the elections process.
Those found on the wrong side of the law must be taken to the courts and the cases dealt with accordingly so that the right signal is sent to would-be offenders.
National harmonised elections are due next year and these by-elections must be used as a yard stick to see the depth of political tolerance in the country.
Political parties need to come to the party and educate their supporters on the need to behave properly at polling stations in line with rules and regulations set by ZEC.
As a refresher, no electioneering is allowed at polling stations on the election day.
Political regalia is not allowed and those intending to campaign must do so far away from the polling stations.
All these seemingly simple rules are put in place to ensure that the polls are conducted in a free and fair manner.
After the ballots have been cast and counted, there is need to exercise restraint. Candidates that win the elections must educate their supporters to behave responsibly without provoking others.
Those who will lose the elections must use the right channels to seek redress if they are not happy with the results.
They must not instigate their supporters to be riotous.
Violence is not a solution.
It attracts trouble.
