Diaspora to enhance participation in electoral process

The declaration came out during a workshop organised by the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum held at the University of South Africa’s main campus in Durban on July 13.

The workshop sought to evaluate the methodology that can be used to ensure diaspora participation in the upcoming elections.

The workshop was attended by South African citizens as well who came under the banner of the Organisation of African Youths.

Part of the recommendations made at the meeting read: “The participants vow to continue to encourage those can, to travel to Zimbabwe and vote. Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) must seek funding and make available information on any organisation that can fund individuals to travel and vote.

“Participants committed themselves and encouraged others to be more vocal on social networks, media and other internet platforms in encouraging others to go and vote.”

South African participants at the workshop made a committed to put more pressure on their government as well as Zimbabwe to respect the will of the people “and deliver to the citizens the democracy they deserve”.

The workshop recommended that Zimbabweans should be continuously reminded to check if their names are appearing on the voters’ roll while at the same time making concerted efforts to fight political violence during elections.

Participant declared that an outcome of an electoral process that is not in sync with the Global Political Agreement signed in September 2008 by the two MDC formations and Zanu (PF) would be resisted.

The GPA gave birth to the Inclusive Government in February 2009 and was a mechanism to pave way for free and fair [polls.

“Zimbabweans in the Diaspora committed themselves to calling or texting relatives and friends in Zimbabwe to vote, and to report incidents of politically related violence not only to political parties and ZEC, but also to JOMIC and the social network.

“We thus declare that a poll outcome that does not meet the roadmap of the Global Political Agreement, the New Constitution and the SADC Principles and Guidelines on Free and Fair elections should be resisted by all,” read the recommendations.

Other issues raised at the workshop included the lack of political information about the country’s imminent election in the diaspora, the resurgence of violence and the use of repressive legislation used to block rallies by the MDC-T.

The disenfranchisement of the over 5 million people in the diaspora from voting in the next election was raised at the meeting as well.

“The Diaspora and its South African counterparts also lamented the unwillingness of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to show more independence in registering voters and accrediting observers, also saying that the haste with which the electoral dates were announced was meant to sidestep commitments under the SADC brokered Global Political Agreement and the New Constitution,” read the recommendations.