COUNTING PROCESS OF ELECTION VOTES IN ZIMBABWE

UNCLAS HARARE 003504 SIPDIS AF/S FOR DIRECTOR ARLENE RENDER FROM AMBASSADOR TOM MCDONALD NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR GAYLE SMITH SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KDEM PGOV ZI SUBJECT: COUNTING PROCESS OF ELECTION VOTES IN ZIMBABWE REF: RENDER/MCDONALD TELCON 6/27/00 UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HARARE 03504 271502Z ¶1. (U) PER REFTEL CON, THE FOLLOWING IS THE COUNTING PROCESS FOR VOTES IN ZIMBABWE FROM THE TIME POLLS ARE CLOSED UNTIL THE RESULTS ARE ANNOUNCED: -- THE PRESIDING OFFICER SEALS THE WOODEN BOX (ONLY ONE PER POLLING STATION) IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LAST VOTE IS DEPOSITED. THE BOXES ARE SEALED WITH WAX AND TAPE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE POLLING AGENT, MONITORS AND PRESIDING OFFICER WHO ARE REQUIRED TO PUT THEIR MARKS ON THE BOXES AS A SECURITY MEASURE. -- THE BOXES STAY OVERNIGHT AT THE POLLING STATIONS OR ARE MOVED TO A CENTRAL LOCATION DEPENDING UPON SECURITY CONDITIONS SUCH AS ELECTRICITY AND REMOTENESS OF LOCATION AND MONITORS, POLLING AGENTS AND THE POLICE ARE ALLOWED TO GUARD THEM. -- THE PRESIDING OFFICER TRANSPORTS THEM IN THE MORNING TO THE COUNTING CENTER IN EACH CONSTITUENCY. EACH CONSTITUENCY HAS ONE COUNTING CENTER WHICH RECEIVES AS MANY AS 35 BALLOT BOXES. MONITORS AND POLLING AGENTS ARE ALLOWED TO FOLLOW BEHIND THE VEHICLE TRANSPORTING THE BOXES TO THE COUNTING CENTER. THE MONITORS GENERALLY DO NOT RIDE WITH THE BOXES. -- AT THE COUNTING CENTER THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF EACH POLLING STATION BECOMES THE COUNTING OFFICER FOR HIS STATION'S VOTES. HE OPENS THE BOX IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MONITOR AND POLLING AGENT WHO HAVE TO IDENTIFY THEIR SECURITY MARKS ON THE SEALED BOXES TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TAMPERED WITH. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HARARE 03504 271502Z -- BEFORE THE ACTUAL COUNTING OF VOTES FOR THE CANDIDATES, THE NUMBER OF BALLOT PAPERS IN EACH BALLOT BOX IS VERIFIED. THE VERIFICATION PROCESS IS DONE ONE BALLOT BOX AT A TIME. THE CONTENTS OF EACH BALLOT BOX ARE DUMPED ONTO A TABLE AND THE NUMBER OF BALLOT PAPERS IS COUNTED IN STACKS OF TEN. THE NUMBER OF BALLOTS IN THE BOX IS COMPARED AGAINST THE TALLY FROM THE PRESIDING OFFICER. THE SERIAL NUMBER ON EACH BALLOT MAY BE CHECKED AGAINST ITS COUNTERFOIL FROM THE BALLOT PAPER BOOKS. THE BALLOT PAPERS ARE RETURNED TO THEIR ORIGINAL BOX UNTIL THE COUNTING OF VOTES. -- DURING THE VERIFICATION PROCESS NO ATTEMPT IS MADE TO DETERMINE FOR WHICH PARTY EACH BALLOT PAPER WAS MARKED. ONLY ONCE THE VERIFICATION PROCESS IS COMPLETED FOR ALL OF THE BALLOT BOXES IN A CONSTITUENCY DOES THE COUNTING OF VOTES FOR CANDIDATES BEGINS. -- AFTERWARDS THE COUNTING OFFICER DUMPS THE CONTENTS OF ALL THE BOXES ON A TABLE. COUNTING CENTER EMPLOYEES SORT THE BALLOTS INTO GROUPS OF 10 AND COUNT ALL THE VOTES IN THE PRESENCE OF THE POLLING AGENTS AND MONITORS. -- WHEN ALL THE PARTIES ARE SATISFIED WITH THE COUNTING PROCESS, THE FINAL RESULTS ARE PHONED TO THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, TOBAIWA MUDEDE AT MUKWATI BUILDING, WHO ANNOUNCES THEM TO THE PUBLIC. -- MUDEDE THEN ANNOUNCES THE RESULTS CONSTITUENCY BY CONSTITUENCY. ¶2. (SBU) TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THE GOVERNMENT GENERALLY FOLLOWED UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HARARE 03504 271502Z THESE COUNTING PROCEDURES. WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN A POSITION TO COMMENT ON THE RESULTS RELEASE PROCEDURES FOLLOWED BY THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, AND IF ANY OF THE DELAY IN PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT WAS CAUSED BY INTERFERENCE, RIGGING, INFORMATION-SHARING OR OTHER ARRANGEMENTS. MCDONALD UNCLASSIFIED >