International
Zimbabwe Set to Conduct General Elections in August 23
A nationwide election is set to take place in Zimbabwe on August 23, the government gazette said Wednesday, ending months of speculation over the date.
The government’s official record, seen by AFP, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa “fixes the 23rd day of August 2023, as the day of the election to the office of President.”
Elections for the National Assembly and local government will also be held that day.
Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF party, which has been in power since independence in 1980, will face off against the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa, a 45-year-old lawyer and pastor.
He will be Mnangagwa’s opponent for a second time.
Chamisa on Tuesday called on Mnangagwa to set a date for the poll after prolonged uncertainty and flip-flops.
The CCC also cried foul over the electoral roll, saying many voters, including some senior politicians, had had their names had been removed or misplaced on the register.
Zimbabwe, a country landlocked between Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, has a population of 15 million, according to the latest census.
Mnangagwa replaced strongman ruler Robert Mugabe in 2017 after a military-led coup but faces widespread criticism of authoritaranism and discontent over the economy.
The country has been plagued for years by deepening poverty, chronic power cuts and crippling hyperinflation.
In 2018 Mnangagwa, dubbed “the Crocodile” for his political cunning, narrowly won a violence-stained election with 50.8 percent of the vote, a result which Chamisa denounced as fraud.
Analysts say Chamisa faces an uphill battle this time around, in the face of a clampdown on CCC events and arrests of party officials.
The country is ranked 137th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2022 World Press Freedom Index, and 157th out of 180 countries by Transparency International for perceived corruption.
AFP
International
Madagascar: Military takes over as president impeached
Rajoelina, 51, had late Monday refused growing demands to step down from the protest movement that started on September 25 over power and water shortages, and developed into a campaign against the president and ruling elite.
The military on Tuesday took over power in Madagascar after the parliament impeached President Andry Rajoelina. This was as a result of weeks of anti-government protests.
There were celebrations on the streets of the capital after the commander of the CAPSAT military unit, which joined the demonstrators over the weekend, announced that it was in charge.
The presidency denounced “a clear act of attempted coup” and insisted that Rajoelina, in hiding, reportedly out of the country, “remains fully in office”.
Rajoelina, 51, had late Monday refused growing demands to step down from the protest movement that started on September 25 over power and water shortages, and developed into a campaign against the president and ruling elite.
International
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga dies in India
Indian police told AFP that he was walking with his sister, daughter, and a personal doctor “when he suddenly collapsed.
•Raila Amolo Odinga Photo by SIMON MAINA / AFP
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga died today at the age of 80 during a health visit to India.
AFP reports that Odinga was the perennial opposition figure of Kenyan politics, running unsuccessfully for the presidency on five occasions, most recently in 2022.
He remained a dominant force, able to rally huge numbers, particularly from his native western Kenya.
Indian police told AFP that he was walking with his sister, daughter, and a personal doctor “when he suddenly collapsed”.
“An Indian police security officer and a Kenyan security officer were also with them at the time.
“He was rushed to a nearby private hospital, but was declared dead,” the police source said.
International
Seychelles’ opposition leader wins presidential poll
In his victory speech, Herminie promised to lower the cost of living, revive public services, and unite the island nation, saying the result marked “a new chapter for all Seychellois”
•Patrick Herminie, on right, has promised to heal divisions after a tough election campaign
Seychelles’ main opposition leader Patrick Herminie has won presidential elections.
He defeated the incumbent Wavel Ramkalawan in a runoff vote, according to official results released by the electoral commission.
Herminie gained 52.7% of the vote, compared with Ramkalawan’s 47.3%.
In his victory speech, Herminie promised to lower the cost of living, revive public services, and unite the island nation, saying the result marked “a new chapter for all Seychellois”.
After losing his bid for a second term, Ramkalawan congratulated Herminie on his victory, saying he leaves “a legacy that makes many presidents blush”.
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