COMMISSIONS WATCH 4/2016

[5th May 2016]

Public Interviews to Fill ZEC Vacancies: Monday 9th May

Candidates, Venue and Interview Times

This bulletin follows up Commissions Watch 3/2016 with further information about the public interviews to be conducted by Parliament’s Committee on Standing Rules and Orders [CSRO] on Monday 9th May, starting at 9.00 am sharp.    

The Candidates

There are 22 candidates to be interviewed.  Their names, in alphabetical order, and the interview time slot allocated to each are shown in the following table—

Twenty minutes has been allowed for interviewing each candidate.

After the public interviews, the CSRO will have to meet [not in public] to prepare a list of at least nine candidates for submission to the President. The President will then make six appointments from that list.  

Note:  The President must make his appointments from the CSRO’s list.  He cannot go outside the list or ask the CSRO to think again.

Gender balance

13 of the candidates are women, 9 men.  There are 6 vacancies, so the final list of candidates to be submitted to the President must have at least 9 names on it.   In compiling the final list of candidates for submission to the President, the CSRO will have to bear in mind that section 17 of the Constitution requires that women constitute at least half the membership of every Commission, including this one.  The President, too, will have to be guided by section 17.  The aim should, therefore, be to have four women appointees.

Outgoing members seeking another term of office

Three outgoing commissioners are on the list of candidates to be interviewed – Joyce Kazembe [former vice-chairperson, who has served on ZEC and its predecessors since 2005, and before that on the Electoral Supervisory Commission], Petty Makoni and Bessie Nhandara.

Section 238(5) of the Constitution allows an outgoing member to be re-appointed for one further six-year term, but no-one may be appointed after he or she has been a member for one or more periods, whether continuous or not, that amount to twelve years.  

Rules for Members of the Public Attending the Interviews

- IDs are necessary to gain entrance to Parliament building.  

- The Kwame Nkrumah Avenue entrance must be used.

- Those attending are expected to fully co-operate with Parliament’s designated officers and must be seated in the Senate Chamber at least 30 minutes before the scheduled interview times indicated above.

- No cell-phones and other electronic recording gadgets will be allowed into the interview venue.

- Parliament reserves the right to refuse entry to and eject from the gallery all those found wilfully disregarding its orders.

Queries

Queries must be addressed to the following Parliamentary officials—

Mr A. Malunga   tmalunga@parlzim.gov.zw

Mr H. Chingoma   chingomah@parlzim.gov.zw

Contact telephone numbers are 04 700181-9

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