Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission has to choose the winner between Dermalog Identification Systems of Germany and Laxton Group Limited of China after the two firms recently conducted public trials of their systems in Harare and Seke communal areas as part of the bidding process.

Zec chairperson, Rita Makarau had pledged to announce the winner within a week of validation tests, but is yet to do so three weeks down the line.

Efforts to get a comment from her were fruitless yesterday, as her mobile phone went unanswered.

The Morgan Tsvangirai-led opposition MDC-T party said the delays could only be attributed to an attempt to rig the polls.

MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu said Zec should not treat elections as an event, but a process with set time lines.

“We don’t have much time left before the holding of the elections next year and as such, the sooner the winner of the BVR kits tender is announced by Zec, the better,” he said.

“An election is a process and not an event. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. We need to have the preparations for a free and fair election, most importantly the electoral reforms, implemented timeously to ensure the holding of a credible, free and fair election next year.”

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

https://www.newsday.co.zw/2017/05/22/worry-delay-awarding-bvr-tender/