Diaspora welcomes news on dual citizenship
By Alex Bell
10 July 2012
Members of Zimbabwe’s Diaspora community have cautiously welcomed news that
dual citizenship will be part of the country’s new constitution, raising
hopes that their voting rights will also soon be secure.
A chapter in the new draft constitution, which is believed to be almost
ready, stipulates that every Zimbabwean citizen by birth should retain his
or her citizenship, even if that person acquires foreign citizenship. This
comes as a positive development for the millions of Zimbabweans in the
Diaspora, many of whom now have citizenship rights in other countries after
being forced to flee the crisis back home.
It is also a positive development in terms of the right of members of the
Diaspora to vote, a right that has been denied by the Robert Mugabe regime
through partisan electoral laws.
But even though dual citizenship may be in the constitution, the Electoral
Act would still have to be amended before those in the Diaspora could vote.
MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora told SW Radio Africa this week that a new
Electoral Bill will be tabled in parliament and legislators from both sides
will be able to debate it and recommend changes to the Act. He said his
party will push for the amendment, to allow Zimbabweans in the Diaspora the
right to vote in the next elections.
“By allowing dual citizenship, what that means is that if you are Zimbabwean
by birth and have acquired British citizenship, you will still have the same
rights as people who are permanently based in Zimbabwe,” Mwonzora said.
Den Moyo from the Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote Campaign told SW Radio Africa on
Tuesday that the Electoral Act amendment is the “key” for their hopes to be
realised. He welcomed the inclusion of dual citizenship in the new draft
constitution as “progressive,” and a “step in the right direction.”
“There is still a lot that needs to happen though, chief among this is the
Electoral Act amendment. We are waiting to see what happens and we are
hoping that the support shown by the MDC-T for a Diaspora vote means there
will be no resistance to the amendment being passed,” Moyo said.
Moyo meanwhile called on members of the Diaspora to gather their paperwork
and start preparing to register to vote, saying they will push for a
separate Diaspora voters roll to be in place before a poll. He said that in
the mean time, citizens abroad can register their details with the Zimbabwe
Diaspora Vote Campaign, which will then help them secure their voting rights
in the future.