UK House of Commons: Written Answer: Dual nationals & elections

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what work the Department undertook in the period leading to the presidential election in Zimbabwe in August 2013 in relation to the voting rights of dual nationals of the UK and Zimbabwe. [169721]

Mark Simmonds: The UK supported the 2013 Zimbabwean constitution making process, which included progress towards the right to dual nationality through its embassy in Harare. The legal position on dual nationality under the new Zimbabwean constitution is still being established, however, as dual nationality was illegal under the previous constitution and underlying Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act. Ahead of the elections, we made clear to the Zimbabwean Government and partners from the Southern Africa Development Community our concern over flaws in the preparations for the elections, particularly concerning the voters roll and key legislative reforms.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Ministers or officials of her Department had with their counterparts in Zimbabwe on the voting rights of dual citizens of Britain and Zimbabwe in relation to that country’s presidential election in August 2013. [169723]

Mark Simmonds: The UK supported the 2013 Zimbabwean constitution making process, which included progress towards the right to dual nationality through its embassy in Harare. The legal position on dual nationality under the new Zimbabwean constitution is still being established, however, as dual nationality was illegal under the previous constitution and underlying Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act. Ahead of the elections, we made clear to the Zimbabwean Government and partners from the Southern Africa Development Community our concern over flaws in the preparations for the elections, particularly concerning the voters roll and key legislative reforms.