Call for electoral reform as Zimbabwe sets general elections for August
Failure to implement reforms ‘may set Zimbabwe up for another disputed election’
31 May 2023 - 20:17
byNyasha Chingono
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Nelson Chamisa leads Citizens Coalition for Change in Zimbabwe. Picture: REUTERS
Harare — Zimbabwe will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on August 23, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Wednesday, as the country continues to battle an economic crisis.
Mnangagwa, elected president in 2018, will be seeking a second term in office. His election followed a military coup that deposed Robert Mugabe in 2017.
The 80-year-old’s main rival is lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa, 45, who leads the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
The election proclamation comes amid parliamentary debates over electoral reforms.
Chamisa’s party is demanding access to and an audit of the voters’ roll, as well as public media access which it says will help level the playing field ahead of the polls.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Picture: BLOOMBERG
Political commentators say failure to implement electoral reforms may set Zimbabwe up for another disputed election.
Zimbabwe’s economy is yet to recover from decades of decline and bouts of financial chaos under the leadership of Mugabe, with the opposition blaming the government for growing corruption and economic mismanagement.
Mnangagwa has said his Zanu-PF government has done well to re-engage with western countries, and blames western sanctions for the country’s economic woes and failure to service a burgeoning debt.
The opposition CCC has said it will restore the rule of law and unlock foreign funding if voted into power.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Call for electoral reform as Zimbabwe sets general elections for August
Failure to implement reforms ‘may set Zimbabwe up for another disputed election’
Harare — Zimbabwe will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on August 23, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Wednesday, as the country continues to battle an economic crisis.
Mnangagwa, elected president in 2018, will be seeking a second term in office. His election followed a military coup that deposed Robert Mugabe in 2017.
The 80-year-old’s main rival is lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa, 45, who leads the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
The election proclamation comes amid parliamentary debates over electoral reforms.
Chamisa’s party is demanding access to and an audit of the voters’ roll, as well as public media access which it says will help level the playing field ahead of the polls.
Political commentators say failure to implement electoral reforms may set Zimbabwe up for another disputed election.
Zimbabwe’s economy is yet to recover from decades of decline and bouts of financial chaos under the leadership of Mugabe, with the opposition blaming the government for growing corruption and economic mismanagement.
Mnangagwa has said his Zanu-PF government has done well to re-engage with western countries, and blames western sanctions for the country’s economic woes and failure to service a burgeoning debt.
The opposition CCC has said it will restore the rule of law and unlock foreign funding if voted into power.
Reuters
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