FORUS Party outlines expectations for a fair electoral playing field

The Freedom of Rights Under Sovereign (FRORUS) Party has outlined a raft of measures it expects to be implemented in order to ensure a fair electoral playing field in Zimbabwe.

Manyara Irene Muyenziwa, the President of the newly-formed FORUS Party whose lobbying is set to bring about a paradigm shift on the Zimbabwean political landscape, called on the government and relevant stakeholders to move with speed to address the issue of disputed electoral outcomes that have hogged the country since the turn of the New Millennium.

“Zimbabwe is hogging the limelight for wrong reasons regards elections. These include pre-election, election, and post-election violence. We need a culture whereby political parties should understand that political contestation is no reason for creating enmity but rather a healthy competition to attract the will of the people in voting for them based on their election manifestos and economic policies,” Muyenziwa said.

She said voters should elect a leader who works to bring prosperity and stability to the Zimbabwean economy, whilst guaranteeing sustainable development and a society where jobs are created and industries operate viably.

Tied to a fair electoral playing field are the media, and security sector reforms among others. This means that opposition political parties should be given coverage in state media including newspapers, radio, online, and television platforms.

FORUS Party is calling for expanded civic education programmes whereby citizens will be taught about their rights including the right to vote, the right to life as well as the right to political affiliation.

It is also calling on the need to have an impartial Judiciary that makes fair judgments that will not be influenced by political powers of the day. FORUS party is also engaging a number of stakeholders including the ruling party, other opposition parties, the United Nations, civil society, and development partners in its quest to bring everyone to the table to chart a way forward for Zimbabwe’s sustainable development.