Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has ruled out the diaspora vote in this year’s elections arguing that the Constitution does not allow Zimbabweans living in foreign countries to vote in those countries.
In an interview with The Chronicle, Ziyambi argues that while the Constitution recognises the right to vote for every Zimbabwean, Section 92 states that only those registered in the country can vote. He also argues that there is no provision for a diaspora constituency in the Constitution. Said Ziyambi Ziyambi:
If you look at the Constitution it has no provision that is expressed which gives the Diaspora the right to vote but the constitution in Section 92 explains that those that vote must have been registered within Zimbabwe. The argument that has been given is that other constitutions which are comparable to ours allow it, which is correct. But in our constitution there is absence of reference to citizens who reside outside the country, it’s not there and you can contrast it with section 92 of the Kenyan constitution which states that ‘Parliament shall enact legislation to provide for the progressive registration of citizens residing outside Kenya and the progressive realisation of their right to vote.
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