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Opposition parties distancing themselves from today's protest
22 Mar 2017 at 09:06hrs | Views
Freedom Square #Harare at 10:26am
Respected Al Jazeera journalist Haru Mutasa reports that opposition parties have started distancing themselves from today's protest. However supporters have started gathering at the venue of the rally to be addressed by opposition leaders.
Former vice president Joice Mujuru, former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, former finance minister Tendai Biti are among the opposition leaders expected to address.
The opposition, under the National Election Reform Agenda, want Presudent Mugabe's government to implement key electoral reforms ahead of the 2018 elections
Police yesterday issued stringent conditions for today's National Election Reform Agenda (Nera) organised demonstration against government's decision to take over the procurement of biometric voter registration (BVR) kits.
But Nera yesterday vowed to go ahead with the demonstration and last night said it had approached the High Court seeking to overturn the police's stringent conditions which bar protestors from marching in the capital's central business district.
Although police partially agreed to the planned protest, they ordered the protestors to assemble at Freedom Square opposite Rainbow Towers and send only a 10-member delegation to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to depose a petition.
Former vice president Joice Mujuru, former prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai, former finance minister Tendai Biti are among the opposition leaders expected to address.
The opposition, under the National Election Reform Agenda, want Presudent Mugabe's government to implement key electoral reforms ahead of the 2018 elections
But Nera yesterday vowed to go ahead with the demonstration and last night said it had approached the High Court seeking to overturn the police's stringent conditions which bar protestors from marching in the capital's central business district.
Although police partially agreed to the planned protest, they ordered the protestors to assemble at Freedom Square opposite Rainbow Towers and send only a 10-member delegation to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to depose a petition.
#Zimbabwe some opposition parties are already distancing themselves from today's protest. Seems again, opposition is not united
— harumutasa/aljazeera (@harumutasa) March 22, 2017
Prominent activist Raymond Majongwe said if today's demo flops the opposition should count itself out of the 2018 elections as this is a real test for the resolve by all political parties.police say protesters can't march into city, stay in Freedom square + then disperse. Organisers going 2 court 2 challenge this #Zimbabwe
— harumutasa/aljazeera (@harumutasa) March 22, 2017
If this March does not happen count yourselves out of 2018. https://t.co/2YNnHTxGqn
— Raymond Majongwe (@RMajongwe) March 22, 2017
This is a real test for the resolve by ALL POLITICAL PARTIES. If indeed they are united All the leadership must lead.from the front 2day https://t.co/mhJEYU1OB2
— Raymond Majongwe (@RMajongwe) March 22, 2017
Source - twitter
