Collen Murahwa Herald Reporter<\/p>\n
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has clarified the confusion regarding the voting rights of the socalled \u201caliens\u201d, saying they were eligible to register as voters.ZEC chief elections officer Ms Constance Chigwamba said in a statement that those born in Zimbabwe and had one or both parents not born in Zimbabwe, but in any Sadc country, were eligible to vote under the country\u2019s electoral laws.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has come to the attention of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) that there may be some confusion regarding the rights of certain Zimbabwean citizens born in Zimbabwe and where one or both of their parents were not citizens of Zimbabwe, but citizens of a country belonging to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to register to vote in the forthcoming Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cZEC reiterates that these Zimbabweans are eligible to register to vote in accordance with the electoral laws like
\nany other Zimbabwean citizen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Chigwamba urged Zimbabweans classified as \u201caliens\u201d to proceed to the Registrar-General\u2019s Office to have their citizenship confirmed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly Zimbabwean citizens will be registered as voters,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTherefore, persons who, before the promulgation of the 2013 Constitution were issued with identity documents describing them as \u2018aliens\u2019 must forthwith proceed to the offices of the Registrar-General to have their citizenship regularised and confirmed.\u201d<\/p>\n