ELECTION WATCH 23/2018
16th June 2018
Two Veritas Court Cases on Elections to be Heard on Monday 18th June
in High Court, Harare
This coming Monday, 18th June, the High Court in Harare is due to hear two cases brought by Veritas to improve the conduct of the coming general election.
Both cases raise constitutional issues affecting the Electoral Act and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission [ZEC]’s functions under the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
1st Case 10 am
Restricted Voter Education vs. Freedom of Expression
Court papers for the case are available on the Veritas website [link] and [link]
Veritas v ZEC, the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the Attorney-General.
As explained in Election Watch 15/2018 of 25th May, Veritas is bringing the case as a public interest case. Although the case was filed last year, Veritas had to make an urgent application to have it heard as a matter of urgency. Time is running short before these elections. But there is still a great deal of voter education to be done now – and if the case is won it will benefit later elections too.
This application was explained in Election Watch 15/2018 of 25th May [link]. It seeks an order declaring section 40C of the Electoral Act in part unconstitutional on the ground that it is inconsistent with the freedom of expression to which all Zimbabweans are entitled under the Constitution [this includes freedom “to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information”]. It also cites unfair discrimination and infringement of political rights.