Opinion / Columnist
Zimbabweans must vote against unpatriotic MPs
27 Jun 2023 at 07:00hrs | Views
WE, the Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote Initiative, a non-partisan group of Zimbabweans living abroad, feel betrayed by Zanu PF parliamentarians and President Emmerson Mnangagwa for failing to amend the Electoral Act to include the diaspora vote. As a result of this great betrayal, we are calling upon our families, friends and business owners who benefit from diaspora remittances and investments to vote for pro-diaspora vote candidates in the August 23 harmonised elections.
Despite Mnangagwa pronouncing to the world that he would make efforts to ensure the Zimbabweans in the diaspora would vote in 2023 and saying diasporans are "equal to, and just as important and as deserving" as their counterparts living in Zimbabwe, there is nothing to show for the effort at preparing for diaspora vote. Our efforts to engage the President on the matter were spurned.
The Electoral Amendment Act that was debated in Parliament showed that government was not interested in implementing the diaspora vote, which Mnangagwa spoke glowingly about, as it did not have clauses to enable citizens living abroad to participate in elections.
Parliament organised a Zoom meeting in which representatives of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote Initiative and other participants raised the need to include the diaspora vote, but no amendments were made in that regard. When the Bill was debated in Parliament, Zanu PF parliamentarians shot down the well-researched and presented contributions by opposition parliamentarians calling for inclusion of the diaspora vote.
Some of our members had one-on-one discussions with several Zanu PF legislators who confirmed that Zanu PF did not support the diaspora vote for fear of losing the elections.
Outside Parliament Zanu PF officials such as Patrick Chinamasa, Christopher Mutsvangwa and Obert Gutu are among the ruling party leaders who publicly said diaspora-based Zimbabweans must not be allowed to vote.
We are, therefore, encouraging all Zimbabweans to vote for pro-diaspora vote parliamentarians who will push for the diaspora vote when legislative changes are brought before Parliament.
Despite Mnangagwa pronouncing to the world that he would make efforts to ensure the Zimbabweans in the diaspora would vote in 2023 and saying diasporans are "equal to, and just as important and as deserving" as their counterparts living in Zimbabwe, there is nothing to show for the effort at preparing for diaspora vote. Our efforts to engage the President on the matter were spurned.
The Electoral Amendment Act that was debated in Parliament showed that government was not interested in implementing the diaspora vote, which Mnangagwa spoke glowingly about, as it did not have clauses to enable citizens living abroad to participate in elections.
Some of our members had one-on-one discussions with several Zanu PF legislators who confirmed that Zanu PF did not support the diaspora vote for fear of losing the elections.
Outside Parliament Zanu PF officials such as Patrick Chinamasa, Christopher Mutsvangwa and Obert Gutu are among the ruling party leaders who publicly said diaspora-based Zimbabweans must not be allowed to vote.
We are, therefore, encouraging all Zimbabweans to vote for pro-diaspora vote parliamentarians who will push for the diaspora vote when legislative changes are brought before Parliament.
Source - newsday
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