Zimbabwe hints at postal voting for 3,5m exiles

Zimbabwe hints at postal voting for 3,5m exiles

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By Staff Report

AS Robert Mugabe's banker Gideon Gono wended his way across Britain and America to loud protests from exiles, he was constantly told: If you want our money, allow us to vote.

Now it seems that wish may come true for the estimated 3,5 million Zimbabwean exiles following remarks by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in Parliament on Thursday.

Chinamasa, responding to a question by St Mary's MP Job Sikhala said the government could reinstate postal voting, providing foolproof measures were in place to ensure the system was not abused.

"This is something that can be looked at, but the size of our country and economy is something that makes it prohibitive," he said.

Sikhala wanted to know if the government would consider allowing ordinary Zimbabweans based abroad to vote in next year's parliamentary elections. Currently, only members of the armed forces and civil servants based at embassies are allowed to vote.

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network which monitored the 2002 Presidential elections and the parliamentary elections in 2000 said the electoral process was flawed. The independent group said disenfranchising the foreign based Zimbabweans had favoured President Mugabe's Zanu PF.

As a way of 'correcting" the voting procedures, the ZESN proposed, the government should re-introduce the postal vote to encourage participation from Zimbabwean exiles who are currently been courted to send the scarce foreign currency through official channels.

It however remains to be seen if the government can allow the postal vote given the hostile reception its officials have been getting on foreign trips, and a fear of an electoral backlash as many of the exiles are economic and political migrants.
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