Opinion / Columnist
No to another stolen Zimbabwe election
17 Jun 2018 at 11:50hrs | Views
The London Vigil has presented a petition to the Prime Minister's official residence warning the UK government not to trust President Mnangagwa's military regime until it is satisfied that the upcoming elections have been free and fair.
The petition was launched soon after the overthrow of Mugabe last November and has been signed by people from all over the world passing down the Strand outside the Zimbabwe Embassy over the past 6 months.
Six Vigil activists were allowed into 10 Downing Street to present the petition, which was accompanied by the following letter:
To the UK's Africa Minister Harriett Baldwin via 10 Downing Street
Dear Ms Baldwin
We respectfully submit a petition urging the UK government to exercise the utmost caution about the elections in Zimbabwe on 30th July.
The petition notes that the euphoria over the removal of the Mugabes last November gave way to the realisation that little else had changed.
The petition urges the UK government to wait until the elections are judged free and fair before offering support to President Mnangagwa.
We are glad that Western election observers have been allowed into Zimbabwe but disappointed that the diaspora vote, affecting millions of people, was dismissed out of hand for no reason persuasive to us.
Many electoral reforms have yet to be implemented and there is little confidence in the Zanu-PF-controlled Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. Indeed there are suggestions of a new attempt at ballot rigging.
In addition the broadcast media is still a tool of the Zanu-PF military regime and there are reports that the military are active in the rural areas to intimidate voters.
The petition has been signed by people passing the Zimbabwe Vigil, which has been demonstrating outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London for 16 years in support of free and fair elections. We want to see that the people's will is respected and we are confident that you share this hope.
The petition was launched soon after the overthrow of Mugabe last November and has been signed by people from all over the world passing down the Strand outside the Zimbabwe Embassy over the past 6 months.
Six Vigil activists were allowed into 10 Downing Street to present the petition, which was accompanied by the following letter:
To the UK's Africa Minister Harriett Baldwin via 10 Downing Street
Dear Ms Baldwin
We respectfully submit a petition urging the UK government to exercise the utmost caution about the elections in Zimbabwe on 30th July.
The petition urges the UK government to wait until the elections are judged free and fair before offering support to President Mnangagwa.
We are glad that Western election observers have been allowed into Zimbabwe but disappointed that the diaspora vote, affecting millions of people, was dismissed out of hand for no reason persuasive to us.
Many electoral reforms have yet to be implemented and there is little confidence in the Zanu-PF-controlled Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. Indeed there are suggestions of a new attempt at ballot rigging.
In addition the broadcast media is still a tool of the Zanu-PF military regime and there are reports that the military are active in the rural areas to intimidate voters.
The petition has been signed by people passing the Zimbabwe Vigil, which has been demonstrating outside the Zimbabwe Embassy in London for 16 years in support of free and fair elections. We want to see that the people's will is respected and we are confident that you share this hope.
Source - Zimbabwe Vigil Diary
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