Electorate, politicians in the dark on PR

Thembelihle Mhlanga 

The allocation of seats by Proportional Representation (PR) remains a mystery for some members of the public in Lupane, we can reveal.

The Lupane electorate told Community Podium that it was high time the electoral management body, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and other election stakeholders appraised the general public on how general votes cast translate to the seats of Senate, women’s quota and the now introduced youth quota.

Melusi Luphahla of Jotsholo in Lupane said he had been struggling to understand the mensuration behind those seats allocated on PR basis, but could not find the answer.

“I have been trying to understand the calculation leading to the allocation of Senate and Women`s quota seats under the so-called proportional representation, but no one has satisfactorily explained it, mind you we  are not legal experts but just lay men,” said Luphahla.

He revealed that  politicians who participate or contest in the electoral process also find it difficult to explain to the electorate or voters on how the votes translate to PR seats.

Mellisa Ncube a staunch politician who claims to have been in the political game for three decades, stated that, though she has been participating in the electoral process  she also can’t explain how those seats are allocated to political parties.

“I can tell  to you that I have been participating in the electoral processes for thirty years but for me to explain how proportional representation works, is a tall order, vele angikuzwisisi kuhle ukuthi kuhamba njani okuyinto kwakhona”, said Ncube.

Zimbabwe`s has a hybrid system of elections which comprise single member majority, proportional representation( for selecting Senators and Women`s Quota representatives

Schedule 8 of the Electoral Act states that the provincial elections officer shall, after determining the number of votes which have been cast for each of the candidates of the participating parties in the constituencies within the electoral province ascertain the total number of votes cast for the participating parties; and allocate in accordance with paragraph to the participating parties, seats in the Senate, National Assembly or provincial council as the case may be.

 A quota shall be determined by dividing the total number of votes obtained by those participating parties for that electoral province which have not been eliminated by the number of seats being contested, namely six in respect of the Senate; six in respect of the National Assembly; ten in respect of a provincial council.