EU should not pay until Diaspora gets vote

For example, the Electoral Amendment Bill sailed through Parliament without amendment after Zanu (PF)’s Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa argued among other things that voter registration would remain constituency based and proof of residence was essential to enable the electoral commission to strategically place polling stations and avert fraud and double voting.

But, contrary to Mr Mnangagwa’s belated assurances, in July 2013, the Israeli company Nikuv was accused of allegedly using several methods, including producing different copies of the voters’ rolls and setting up sneaky polling stations to fix results in favour of Mugabe and Zanu (PF).

For instance, a spokeswoman for Matabeleland region independent election monitors, working under an umbrella group called Situation Room, Debra Mabunda was quoted as saying:

“In Gwanda, Ward 10, Bar Compound, there was a polling station that was manned by one polling agent, a Zanu (PF) agent. The polling station was not listed under a list given to all stakeholders by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. We informed other political parties in Gwanda and they have since sent their polling agents there.”

Shockingly out of Zimbabwe’s 13 million people an estimated four million expatriates are excluded from voting by the Zanu (PF) regime, despite a ruling by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights allowing the Diaspora vote.

Expatriates the world over including in Southern Africa and in countries embroiled in conflict like Syria and Egypt, are allowed to vote in national and presidential elections. But not in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe.

Accordingly, the EU should NOT release the $320 million which it has pledged to Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) regime until it restores the Diaspora Vote. CLIFFORD MASHIRI, by email: zimanalysis2009@gmail.com