Urgent Appeal for a Diaspora Vote

Write to the participants in the SADC- Initiated inter party Dialogue to urgently uphold the following:

1. Article 5 of the SADC Treaty objectives which among other issues state the following:
Evolve common political values, systems and institutions;

2. Section 2.1.1 of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections which states that:
Member states should guarantee full participation of the citizens in the political process;


3. Section 2.1.6 of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections which states that:
Member states should guarantee equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for;

4. Section 2.1.8 states that:
Member states should guarantee that there is voter education.

All these make it mandatory for the Zimbabwean government to allow Zimbabwean citizens living abroad to register and participate in all national elections.

SADC SECRETARIAT
Private Bag 0095
Gaborone
Botswana
Fax: 267 3972 848
Tel: 267 3951 863

Zimbabwe
Mr. F. MAONERA
Department of Regional and International Co-operation
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
PO BOX 4240
Causeway, Harare
Telephone: 263 727 005/794 681
Fax: 263 470 6293
Email: sadczim@yahoo.com
Cc: fmaonera@mweb.co.zw
gumbezererata@yahoo.com


South Africa
Ambassador J.Y. Duarte
Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria 0001
Tel: 27 12 351 0430
Fax: 27 12 351 0449/0546
Email: duartej@foreign.gov.za
Cc:madumanem@foreign.gov.za
mamabolol@foreign.gov.za