HARARE|In a weekly column for The Sunday Mail, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that Zimbabwe will only invite election observers from countries that invite Harare to observe their own elections. He emphasized that all nations are equal under the United Nations Charter, and should relate to each other on equal terms with respect and reciprocity.
Mnangagwa further stated that Zimbabwe will no longer accept a “false hierarchy” where “white super dogs” observe elections of “lesser beings” and “black underdogs” have their polls observed, passed, or failed. He called this practice “utterly racist and condescending,” and said that Zimbabwe will no longer subject itself to such false and humiliating equivalences.
However, Mnangagwa’s government has been accused of rigging previous elections and oppressing the main opposition party led by Nelson Chamisa. In addition, an ongoing documentary has exposed Mnangagwa at the center of Zimbabwe’s gold smuggling gold mafia.
The announcement of the election observer policy comes as Zimbabwe prepares to hold harmonized elections between July 26 and August 26. Mnangagwa is expected to proclaim the poll date soon.
Despite the President’s statement, some remain skeptical about the transparency and fairness of Zimbabwe’s upcoming elections. The opposition party and civil society organizations have been calling for electoral reforms to ensure free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.
Source – Masimba News