Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabweans in foreign lands demand right to vote
04 Jul 2022 at 06:59hrs | Views
FOLLOWING intensive discussion by over 200 Zimbabweans living in Australia and New Zealand who are interested in exercising their constitutional right to vote next year, a letter was written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa on April 15, 2022.
The letter appreciated his realisation of the right to vote for Zimbabweans living in the diaspora as expressed in his address to Zimbabweans living in the United States on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018, and his promise that government would expedite the matter with an aim to have Zimbabweans in the diaspora voting in 2023. The letter asked for progress that has been made on implementation of the diaspora vote as per his word, and what the challenges, if any, had been. We expected a response from the President or officials delegated by him by end of May 2022. No response has been received to date and we are still waiting.
However, we are beginning to suspect that the letter may not have been delivered to our "listening" President.
The letter was delivered both by email and hard copy to the Zimbabwean ambassador to Australia and New Zealand. We have courier acknowledgment of receipt of the letter by the Zimbabwean embassy in Canberra. Copies of the letter were delivered by email to the Clerk of Parliament, Speaker of Parliament, representatives of political parties with seats in Parliament, Sadc, the African Union and the United Nations.
We are not sure where the letter will have strayed. We will continue to explore ways that will ensure that our communication on this matter of mutual interest to Zimbabwean diaspora community reaches Mnangagwa. We look forward to the continued interest and involvement by His Excellency on matters relating to the diaspora vote.
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Padmore Kufa Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote Initiative spokesperson
The letter appreciated his realisation of the right to vote for Zimbabweans living in the diaspora as expressed in his address to Zimbabweans living in the United States on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018, and his promise that government would expedite the matter with an aim to have Zimbabweans in the diaspora voting in 2023. The letter asked for progress that has been made on implementation of the diaspora vote as per his word, and what the challenges, if any, had been. We expected a response from the President or officials delegated by him by end of May 2022. No response has been received to date and we are still waiting.
However, we are beginning to suspect that the letter may not have been delivered to our "listening" President.
The letter was delivered both by email and hard copy to the Zimbabwean ambassador to Australia and New Zealand. We have courier acknowledgment of receipt of the letter by the Zimbabwean embassy in Canberra. Copies of the letter were delivered by email to the Clerk of Parliament, Speaker of Parliament, representatives of political parties with seats in Parliament, Sadc, the African Union and the United Nations.
We are not sure where the letter will have strayed. We will continue to explore ways that will ensure that our communication on this matter of mutual interest to Zimbabwean diaspora community reaches Mnangagwa. We look forward to the continued interest and involvement by His Excellency on matters relating to the diaspora vote.
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Padmore Kufa Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote Initiative spokesperson
Source - NewsDay Zimbabwe
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