No easy road, says ED

17 Jun, 2018 - 00:06 0 Views
No easy road, says ED FROM the very day President Mnangagwa ascended to the top job in the country, he has always preached peace, tolerance, reconciliation and putting Zimbabwe first. The President has declared that economic rejuvenation will take precedence in every forum, and highlighted that in order for the country to revive its economy, it has to re-engage with the international community and attract foreign investment, and at the same time luring Zimbabweans in the diaspora to invest back home. He went on to walk the talk and laid the ground for free and fair elections, and also invited election observers from all parts of the world. He said the country had nothing to hide, and has not moved an inch on his call for peace. We therefore urge all Zimbabweans to join President Mnangagwa in this important walk for peace. We call upon all Zimbabweans to join the President in singing this beautiful song calling for peace. And we reiterate, events that took place at White City Stadium last Saturday where an explosive was used to attack the President and Government as well as Zanu-PF leadership, leading to the death of two people in hospital and injury to about 49 people, are regrettable and have no place in a modern and civilised society. Nonetheless, the events did not change the mindset of the President and his Government, as he has continued to call for peace, even at a time when his life was clearly targeted, something which shows his character as a leader, peace lover and nation builder. And last week, all 23 presidential contestants in the July 30 harmonised elections signed a high-level peace pledge committing themselves and their political parties to a peaceful campaign ahead of the polls. A few presidential candidates were represented by senior party members at the signing ceremony. The pledge — the first in the history of elections in Zimbabwe — is in line with President Mnangagwa’s repeated calls for free, fair, peaceful and credible elections. The high-level event was organised by the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC). Addressing presidential candidates at the signing ceremony, NPRC chairman Retired Justice Selo Nare said it was incumbent upon all Zimbabweans to work together for the development of the country. “Today marks an important step in our nation as all of us come together to collaborate in our efforts to contribute to sustainable peace and development. Peaceful elections are a key ingredient for long-term peace and development in the country and the NPRC has a key role to play in contributing towards this goal. Let us work together for social cohesion and nation building. It is our responsibility as Zimbabweans to create a social compact for the future.” Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu, who signed the peace pledge on behalf of President Mnangagwa, said: “We subscribe to a clarion call for peace by our President Cde ED Mnangagwa and the late Vice-President Dr John Nkomo that “peace begins with you, peace begins with me, peace begins with all of us”. President Mnangagwa

The Sunday News

President ED Mnangagwa

President ED Mnangagwa

Harare Bureau
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says recalibrating an “entrenched political system to a new administration” takes time as the nation needs a shared vision and consensus on how to move forward.

In an interview with US publication The Wall Street Journal, published online on Friday, President Mnangagwa said the transition was ongoing and Zimbabwe was on the right track.

“It’s not an event, it’s a process to change from one entrenched system to a new administration,” he said. “You need to carry the majority of the nation with you. It’s not possible to just go with a couple of friends and say this is where we are.”

After existing in isolation for the past two decades, Zimbabwe, according to President Mnangagwa, was well on its way to fully integrating into the global family of nations.

“We don’t believe we’re an island anymore,” he told The Wall Street Journal, adding: “We should be part of the global community.”

On the 30 July 2018 harmonised polls, Zimbabwe’s leader reiterated that: “We want our elections to be free, fair, transparent and credible.”

Government has approved a list of 46 countries, and 15 regional and continental bodies to observe the elections. In reference to this, President Mnangagwa said: “You don’t write an examination and mark it for yourself. If you write an examination, let other people mark your examination.”

Among the invited countries are all 15 Sadc members and representatives of the European Union. Other European countries invited to observe the elections are the Russian Federation, Belarus, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey. From North America, Government has invited the United States, Canada and Mexico; while Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela will come from South America.

Invitations have been extended to the Caribbean nations of Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Barbados. Asian countries invited are China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palestine, South Korea and Thailand. Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, from Oceania, are among those invited. President Mnangagwa said he was confident of winning the elections, and would respect any outcome.

“The army is in the barracks,” he said. “If any other party wins, we will support them as they will support me if I win.”

Three pre-election surveys by the Mass Public Opinion Institute (Afrobarometer), Trends and Insights for Africa, and the Pan African Forum show President Mnangagwa is likely to beat the competition in the Presidential race.

According to The Wall Street Journal, after the political transition last year, Zimbabweans “are seeing some changes”.

In the same article, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya explained the country’s external debt settlement plan.

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