HARARE – The Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo has submitted to President Robert Mugabe names of 12 candidates shortlisted for appointment into the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Mugabe is expected to appoint eight members from the list submitted by the standing rules and orders committee (SROC) of which four people apart from the chairperson should be women.

Mugabe will also appoint a chairperson who must be a sitting or former judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court. The President can also pick any person qualified for appointment to the bench as chairman of the commission after consultation with the Judicial Service Commission and the SROC.

The 12 members whose names were submitted to Mugabe include Daniel Chigaru, Lakayana Dube, Professor Geoff Feltoe, Theophilus Gambe and Joyce Kazembe who once served in the last ZEC, Petty Makoni, Pahlani Mubonderi, Sibongile Ndlovu, Bessie Nhandara, Dr Kalaya Njini, Mkhululi Nyathi and Reverend Goodwill Shana.

Members of the ZEC will serve for a term of six years and their appointment may renewed for one further term only.

The ZEC’s functions will include preparing for, conduct and supervise elections for the office of President, Parliament, local council elections and referendums.

ZEC will also ensure that elections and referendums are conducted efficiently, freely, fairly, transparently and in accordance with the law.

The electoral body will also supervise the registration of voters, compile the voters’ rolls and registers.

Besides ZEC, Mugabe is also expected to appoint members of the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC), whose names have been submitted to him for appointment, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the Anti Corruption Commission.

The appointment of the four commissions that are being set up in terms of a constitutional amendment enacted earlier this year is part of significant democratic reforms in the country. – ZimOnline