Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Act [Chapter 2:12]

ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION ACT
Act 22/2004, 17/2007.
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Section
1. Short title and date of commencement.
2. Interpretation.
PART II
ZIMBABWEELECTORAL COMMISSION
3. Procedure and powers of Commission.
4. Additional functions of Commission.
5. Commissioners: qualifications for and terms and conditions of office.
6. Removal of Commissioners from office.
7. Decentralisation of Commission.
8. Provisions to ensure independence, impartiality and professionalism of Commissioners and staff and agents
of Commission.
PART III
FINANCES, STAFF AND REPORTS OFCOMMISSION
9. Funds and finances of Commission.
9A. Investment of moneys not immediately required by Commission.
10. Estimates of revenue and expenditure of Commission.
11. Chief Elections Officer and other employees of Commission.
12. Reports ofCommission on elections, referendums and other matters.
PART IV
VOTER EDUCATION
13. Interpretation in Part IV.
14. Functions of Commission with respect to voter education.
15. Voter education by persons other than the Commission or political parties.
15A. Provision of voter education by Commission.
15B. Commission to monitor voter education by other persons.
16. Foreign contributions or donations for the purposes of voter education.
PART IVA
MEDIACOVERAGE OF ELECTIONS
16A. Interpretation in Part IVA.
16B. Application of Part IVA in relation to other media laws.
16C. Access to public broadcasting media.
16D. Political advertising in broadcasting and print media.
16E. Publication of electoral information in public interest.
16F. Conduct of news media during election period.
16G. Monitoring of media by Commission.
PART V
GENERAL
17. Provision of copies of electoral legislation.
18. Legal proceedings against Commission.
19. Regulatory powers of Commission.
SCHEDULES
First Schedule: Provisions applicable to Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
Second Schedule: Ancillary powers of Commission.
Third Schedule: Financial provisions relating to Commission.
AN ACT to provide for the terms of office, conditions of service, qualifications and vacation of office
of members of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the procedure at meetings of the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission and the appointment of the Chief Elections Officer; and to provide for matters connected
with or incidental to the foregoing.
[Long title substituted by section 15 of Act 17 of 2007]
[Date of commencement : 1st February, 2005]
PART I
PRELIMINARY
1 Short title and date of commencement
This Act may be cited as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Act [Chapter 2:12].
2 Interpretation
(1) In this Act—
“Chief Elections Officer” means the Chief Elections Officer appointed in terms of section 11(1);
“Commission” means the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission appointed in terms of section 61 of the Constitution;
[Definition substituted by section 2 of Act 17 of 2007]
“Commissioner” means a member of the Commission, and includes the Chairperson of the Commission;
“Committee on Standing Rules and Orders” …
[Definition repealed by section 2 of Act 17 of 2007]
“election” means—
(a) the election of a member of Parliament; or
(b) an election to the office of President; or
(c) an election for the purposes of the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13] or the Urban
Councils Act [Chapter 29:15];
as the case may be;
“election period” ….
[Definition repealed by section 2 of Act 17 of 2007]
“Electoral Act” means the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] or other Act of Parliament having effect for the purposes
of section 58(4) of the Constitution which is for the time being in force;
“fixed date” means the date fixed in terms of section 1(2) as the date of commencement of this Act;
“Minister” means the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs or any other Minister to whom the
President may, from time to time, assign the administration of this Act;
“political party” means an association of persons the primary object of which is to secure the election of one
or more of its members to a local authority or Parliament, or to the office of President, or to campaign
for a specified result at a referendum;
“referendum” means a referendum held in terms of the Referendums Act [Chapter 2:10];
“Registrar-General” means the Registrar-General of Voters referred to in section 18 of the Electoral Act.
(2) Any word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Electoral Act shall have the same
meaning when used in this Act.
PART II
ZIMBABWEELECTORAL COMMISSION
3 Procedure and powers of Commission
(1) The First Schedule applies to the procedure to be followed by the Commission at its meetings.