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Referendum set for 16 March

by AFP
13 Feb 2013 at 14:50hrs | Views
Prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai announced Wednesday that the country will hold a constitutional referendum on 16 March followed by elections in July, a timetable that will decide the fate of veteran President Robert Mugabe.

"There will be a referendum on 16 March," said Morgan Tsvangirai.

Douglas Mwonzora, a spokesman for Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change, told AFP the referendum will be held on March 16.

Zimbabweans will be asked to vote on a basic law that would, for the first time, set presidential term limits and abolish the head of state's immunity.

It would also set the stage for a presidential and legislative election that will be held in July, according to Tsvangirai.

Then, Zimbabweans will face a choice between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, who entered an uneasy coalition government after bloody 2008 elections.

A victory for the 88-year-old Mugabe would extend his 32 years in power, a reign that in the last decade has been pocked by economic meltdown and serious rights violations.

Minister of Constitutional Affairs, Eric Matinenga, announced today at a press conference in Harare.

At a press conference, Matinenga said the date was agreed by principals this week.

He said his ministry will conduct two meetings in every province to inform people about the draft and encourage them to vote for it.

He said his ministry has already started the campaign in Mashonaland Province and would cover the whole country before March 10.

He said he is lobbying for the referendum to spread over two days to give all the people a chance to vote. He also said he will lobby for the suspension of the Public Order and Security Act to allow his ministry and parliamentarians to conduct meetings with people before the election date.


Source - AFP
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