Following the notification by the European Union (EU) over its suspension of support to the ZEC based on the preliminary reports that were given by SADC and EU Election Observer Mission (EUEEOM), political analyst, Terrence Chapwanya stated that the suspension is an indication of strings attached to the donor funds which seek to control an independent constitutional body.

“ZEC is an independent constitutional body and should never accept foreign funding as this is an inadmissible use of donors to indirectly influence the country’s electoral outcome.” Chapwanya said.

Another political analyst, Kudakwashe Sachi said that ZEC is an independent body which is guided on the concept of independence and in a nutshell the constitution stipulates that ZEC shall not be under the direction or control of anyone.

“ZEC should stop accepting funding from donors since the funding is conditional and one-sided, the EU is now pulling out their funding because they failed to control the electoral dynamics in Zimbabwe.  The independence of ZEC as a constitutional body hit the EU like a ton of bricks, as their donation failed to skew ZEC to their desired outcome,” said Sachi.

Sachi went on to say that ZEC must be fully funded by the country’s treasury to avoid indirect attempts of influence from foreign funding.

“The EU’s action is tantamount to using the power of the Euro or the Dollar to compromise ZEC’s independence. Whether a constitutional or statutory body has not acted in accordance with the Constitution is a case for the country’s competent courts of law to determine; and not for anyone else, let alone a donor agency,” he said

Other analysts added that, for ZEC to secure their constitutional independence, and to safeguard Zimbabwe’s sovereignty, chapter 12 of the country’s Constitution, states that constitutional bodies must not accept any foreign funding in whatsoever form from any foreign source because, “ he who pays the piper calls the tune.”