Zimbabwe elections announced as US meddling decried
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Zimbabwe will hold its presidential and parliamentary elections on August 23rd 2023, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Wednesday. Mr Mnangagwa, elected president in 2018, will be seeking a second term in office. His election followed a military coup that deposed Robert Mugabe in 2017.
The 80-year-old’s main rival is lawyer and pastor is 45-year old Nelson Chamisawho leads the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
The opposition accuses the party in power, Zanu-PF, of repression against political opponents.
On Tuesday, Chamisa accused President Mnangagwa of being vague about the dates of the election.
The Zanu-PF party has been in power in Zimbabwe since the country’s independence in 1980.
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Meanwhile, the acting Zimbabwean Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Rofina Chikava, has summoned the US chargé d’affaires, Elaine French to rebuke the US for election interference. A series of social media posts about the upcoming election were viewed as interference.
A statement issued by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Livit Mugejo, said that “the conduct by the US Embassy was unacceptable as it deviated from conventional diplomatic norms and values enshrined in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961). The Ministry also called on the US Embassy to refrain from posting such messages in the spirit of re-engagement between our two countries.”
“In her response, the US Charge D’Affaires Ms Elaine French acknowledged Government’s concerns and reiterated her Mission’s commitment to improve its communication in line with expected diplomatic conduct. She further expressed optimism in the continued collaboration between Zimbabwe and the US. Zimbabwe views the U.S.A as an important co-operating partner in its development goals, in line with the Engagement and Re-Engagement policy.”
