Zimbabwe General Election
As Zimbabwe gears towards the general election scheduled for August 2023, President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday vowed that the exercise will be free and fair further warning to what he terms "rogue" civic society organizations.
Specific dates for the general election have not been issued yet.
According to AFP news reports, Mnagangwa, 80 years old is seeking to be re-elected on a ZANU-PF ticket.
Mnangagwa took over from former President Robert Mugabe who resigned before his term after being ousted from power by a "coup d'etat."
Mugabe was Zimbabwe's president for 37 years since independence from Britain in 1980.
President Mnangagwa has urged Zimbabweans to "say no to violence, before, during and after" the upcoming crunch vote.
"My government has put measures in place to ensure free, fair, and credible elections", he said in a speech delivered at an event to mark 43 years of independence from Britain.
The Zimbabwe head of state was speaking during independence day celebrations held in the small town of Mount Darwin, around 155 kilometers (around 100 miles) northeast of the capital Harare.
However, with the President's assurance of a peaceful election, APF news says his ZANU-PF party has been accused in the past of using violence and intimidation to instill fear in opponents during elections.
Two days after the 2018 polls, soldiers killed five people when opposition protestors alleging fraud took to the streets of Harare, burning tires and pulling down street signs.
Mnangagwa also warned of "voices, foreign or local, inclusive of rogue NGOs" sowing "seeds of division and disharmony among us".
In early February the country's parliament approved a bill banning civil society organizations from engaging in politics.
Under the new legislature, the state can intervene in the governance and activities of charities and civic groups, including making changes to their internal management and funding.
The law, which caused an outcry from rights groups and the global community, states that violators would risk up to a year in jail.
The president has been accused of cracking down on political opponents.
In 2018 Mnangagwa won disputed elections that his main rival Nelson Chamisa insists were rigged.
The two will face off for a second time in the upcoming polls.
SOURCE: AFP NEWS AND VOA
Tags: Signstv Emmerson Mnagangwa Zimbabwe Election Zanu-Pf Party Robert Mugabe Nelson Chamisa
