Connect with us

Politics

Zimbabwe’s electoral commission, ZEC promises to publicise voters’ register

Published

on

The electoral commission in Zimbabwe said it would soon publish the voters’ register for the forthcoming general elections.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) also assured the public of a fair election and promised to rectify anomalies that were observed during the voters’ inspection exercise.

The head of ZEC, Utloile Silaigwana made the position known when he announced the end of the mop-up voter registration exercise on Friday.

Silaigwana further revealed that the Nomination court would sit on 21 June and thereafter the voters’ roll would be accessible to candidates.

There are contentions about the neutrality of the electoral commission. In March, a member of the opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Allan Markham filed a court application challenging ZEC for access to the electronic voters’ roll but had his request rejected because “it was too risky” and in the interest of data protection.

Meanwhile, the ruling party, Zanu PF sent text messages to registered voters during the period urging them to vote for President Emmerson Mnangagwa. This move further fuelled the allegation that Zanu PF had access to the voters’ roll which is why it was able to send the messages.

President Mnangagwa is running for re-election to a second term after coming to power following a military coup that dislodged Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwe’s president in 2017.

The country is struggling with deep poverty, recurring power outages, and crippling unemployment, all of which have fuelled widespread resentment.

The President of Zimbabwe is elected using a two-round system. The Zimbabwean legislature is made up of 270 members of the National Assembly, 210 members elected in single-member constituencies, and 60 women elected by proportional representation in ten six-seat constituencies based on the country’s provinces.

Politics

South Sudan’s finance minister Bak Barnaba Chol fired

Published

on

President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has dismissed Bak Barnaba Chol, the Minister of Finance and Planning, and appointed engineer Daniel Daniel Chuong in his place.

 

Kiir removed the Finance Minister without providing a reason in a presidential decree that was published in South Sudan’s capital, Juba.

 

Before his appointment, the new finance minister was the petroleum ministry’s technical adviser and the previous minister of petroleum.

 

The country’s local currency, the South Sudanese pound (SSP), was depreciating at the same time as the changes were implemented, causing hyperinflation.

 

Three months ago, the SSP was worth 1,100 units against the US dollar; three months later, it was worth a record low of 1,800 units.

 

To secure hard currency and stabilize the economy, the nation is currently struggling to raise daily oil production from the current 150,000 barrels per day to 175,000 barrels per day.

 

South Sudan is currently in a dangerous situation. UN reports state that local violence between different armed groups and factions is on the rise.

Continue Reading

Politics

Senegal: opposition figure Sonko promises new national currency if party wins election

Published

on

Controversial Senegalese opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, said the country would consider the implementation of
reform of the West Africa region’s CFA franc currency at a regional level first, and if that failed, would consider creating a national currency, if his preferred candidate, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, wins the next presidential election.

Faye is one of the main candidates in Senegal’s March 24 presidential election. He is backed by the popular firebrand Sonko, who was disqualified from the race over a defamation conviction.

Sonko made the promise while speaking at a joint press conference with Faye, shortly after both politicians were released from jail.

It appeared the comment was aimed at easing concerns after their election campaign, which promised to introduce the new currency if Faye won.

“We will try to implement a monetary reform at the sub-regional level first,” Sonko said. “If that fails, we will decide as a nation.”

Sonko alleged that the CFA franc currency, which is pegged to the euro and used by eight countries of the West Africa Monetary Union, affects economic development in the region, and the time is right to explore more options.

“There’s no sovereignty if there is no monetary sovereignty,” said Faye, speaking at the same press conference.

To be declared the winner in a presidential poll, a candidate must secure the signatures of 0.8% to 1% of the voting public. At least 2,000 sponsors must be secured for each of Senegal’s fourteen regions, where a minimum of seven signatures are required.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Metro47 mins ago

Nigerian Army reveals names of soldiers killed by youths in horrific attacks

The Nigerian Army Defence Headquarters (DHQ), on Monday night, revealed the identities of the 16 soldiers who were killed by...

Metro15 hours ago

Zimbabwe in food shortage as El Nino drought strikes harder

Residents of the Zimbabwean community of Buhera are waiting in groups outside a primary school, hoping to be called by...

VenturesNow15 hours ago

World Bank consortium to give Egypt $6 billion over a 3-year period

The World Bank Group on Monday announced that it planned to give Egypt, which has been suffering from a foreign...

Musings From Abroad15 hours ago

Explain dire consequences of Rafah operation to Israel, Egypt urges UN, US

Following Washington’s objection to a military incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah on its border with Egypt, Egypt’s...

Sports17 hours ago

Controversy as US-based former Kenyan football star Joseph Asuza commits suicide

A US-based former Kenyan football star, Joseph Asuza, has reportedly committed suicide in what has been described as tragic circumstances,...

Tech18 hours ago

ADB signs $15m transaction guarantee facility with Zimbabwe’s NMB Bank

The African Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $15 million Trade Finance Transaction Guarantee Facility with Zimbabwe’s NMB Bank aimed...

Culture18 hours ago

Kenyans mourn passing of prominent TV star, Rita Tinina

Kenyans, especially those within the country’s media space, have been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of veteran television...

Metro20 hours ago

Zambia receives $100m World Bank grant to support energy sector

The Zambian government has announced receiving a $100 million grant from the World Bank Group to support its energy sector....

VenturesNow23 hours ago

Nigeria targets fresh $1 billion loan from World Bank 

In order to address the issues facing internally displaced persons and their host communities, as well as to support rural...

Tech24 hours ago

Ghana’s communications regulator predicts subsea cable repairs could take five weeks

According to Ghana’s communications regulator, it will likely take at least five weeks to fully restore service relying on the...

Trending