Source: Zim elections in five months | The Sunday Mail January 21, 2018
Prosper Ndlovu in MAPUTO, Mozambique
Zimbabweans should brace for harmonised elections in the next five months, which should be transparent, free and fair for the progressive good of the country, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
Speaking here on Wednesday on the fourth leg of his tour of the region in which he is apprising Sadc Heads of State and Government on political developments in Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa said free and fair polls were critical in repositioning Zimbabwe as a democratic State within the international system.
“Zimbabwe is going for elections in four to five months’ time and we have to preach peace, peace and peace because we know it is good for us and we have no doubt that we will have peaceful elections,” said President Mnangagwa.
“I assure the regional leadership that the forthcoming harmonised polls will embrace the tenets of democracy, fair play and standards set by us in the Sadc. We will ensure that Zimbabwe delivers free, credible, fair and indisputable elections to ensure Zimbabwe engages the world as a qualified democratic state.”
The President met his Mozambican counterpart, President Filipe Nyusi, at State House for nearly three hours, exchanging views on the political situation in the country.
The two leaders also affirmed commitment to mutual cooperation in development programmes and deepening bilateral ties for the benefit of their countries and the broader region.
President Mnangagwa also met former Mozambican Presidents Joaquim Chissano and Amando Guebbuza, and assured them that former President Robert Mugabe’s safety and welfare were guaranteed, and his legacy would be preserved as he has contributed immensely to Zimbabwe.
The President said Zimbabwe will continue to embrace regional commitments, including guidelines on holding elections.
To that end, he said, Zimbabwe’s forthcoming harmonised polls will be a Sadc and African Union affair and all states that subscribe to democratic values.
He highlighted that transparency during the entire electoral process was paramount in ensuring legitimacy, which is an asset in national development.
He urged the Diaspora to exercise their Constitutional right by participating in the elections, urging them to take advantage of Biometric Voter Registration.
He underscored that Government was, however, not capacitated logistically to facilitate voting outside Zimbabwe, although the idea was desirable.
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