The Morgan Tsvangirai faction of the Movement for Democratic Change has spelt out 10 points that Zimbabwe must fulfil for it to rejoin the international community.
They include the appointment of professionals to oversee the drafting of legislation, the overhaul of media laws, the setting up of a judicial review commission, the transfer of voter registration to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, automatic voter registration and no restrictions on the movement of election observers.
Zimbabwe is still under United States and European Union sanctions. The EU extended its sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace and on the Zimbabwe Defence Industries for another 12 months last week.
The EU argued that Mugabe had not changed enough to merit the lifting of sanctions but he is free to travel to Europe on African Union business as he is the current chairman of the continental body.
Full statement:
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Minimum demands for the resumption of normal diplomatic and economic relations with the Zimbabwe Government
The MDC is arguably the largest and most popular political party in Zimbabwe. In similar measure, Morgan Tsvangirai remains the most popular political leader in the country in spite of and regardless of the incessant , malicious and hate – filled propaganda that is relentlessly peddled against his brand at the behest of the fascist Zanu PF – controlled print and electronic media.
Before the government of Zimbabwe can be fully rehabilitated and re -integrated into the international comity of nations, there are certain minimum conditions that have to be met. For the avoidance of doubt and for the benefit of the entire diplomatic and international community, the MDC would like to outline these minimum conditions:
1. The appointment of a professional team of experts from the Attorney – General‘s Office and other relevant stakeholders to oversee the drafting of the required legislation to implement the new Constitution that was adopted in March 2013 by the people of Zimbabwe. This re – alignment process must be holistic and comprehensive in order to include an agreed list of all the pieces of legislation and statutory instruments that must be harmonised with the new Constitution. There should be a clearly defined guideline and time table but, at any rate, the whole process should be completed by the end of 2017 at the latest.
2. There must be a complete overhaul of all legislation controlling the media industry so as to restrict State interference with State – funded print and electronic media institutions. Put simply, there must be total and unhindered freedom of the Press in conformity with the basic tenets of the new Constitution.
3. There must be a complete overhaul of all legislation controlling freedom of assembly, association and speech.
4. A Judicial Review Commission must be appointed to review the appointment of all judicial officers in the court system, make recommendations on the retirement and removal of judicial officers who do not qualify for such posts on the grounds of bias, unprofessional behaviour and inadequate qualifications and experience.
5. There must be a detailed review of how the membership of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is appointed and recommendations on any changes required followed by a review of the staff of ZEC is selected and appointed to ensure that it performs its functions in a professional and non – partisan manner at all times. This exercise must be completed by the end of 2015.
6. By the beginning of 2016,there must be a total transfer of the responsibility for the registration of voters and the maintenance of the voters’ roll, to the ZEC.
7. Voter registration must be automatic for all Zimbabweans either on their 18th birthday or upon registration as a citizen. The voters’ roll must be fully biometric and updated automatically from the national citizenship register.
8. Access to the voters’ roll must be open to all citizens through the internet and to all political parties and their candidates at a reasonable cost reflecting the actual cost of securing such access.
9. The new national voters’ roll must be available by the end of 2016 at the latest and all future delimitations of boundaries of all electoral districts must conform with the national voters’ roll.
10. The State must provide an unequivocal undertaking that there will be no restrictions on the number or origins or movements of observers to the next harmonised elections.
MDC: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
Obert Chaurura Gutu
MDC National Spokesperson
(457 VIEWS)
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Who are they speaking on behalf of? This the reason they cannot win political power, because they waste time making grand pronouncements and not attending to their core business.