Zimbabwe: Think Tank Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) Banned from Launching Report on the Voters' Roll

The voters’ roll allegedly contains deceased voters, double entries and others false entries, and it is feared that the forthcoming general elections might produce a disputed result.

Courtes: ygrassrootsoccer.org

(YORK, UK) - On 17 July 2013, Harare-based think tank Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) was banned by the High Court from launching a report with its analysis of the voters’ roll. RAU is a non-governmental organisation whose work focuses on women, displacement and governance.

RAU intended to host a launch event on the morning of 17 July 2013 at the Crowne Plaza, in the capital Harare. At 8.17am on that day, RAU received an ban by the Registrar-General issued by the High Court to stop the launch event from going ahead. Crowne Plaza has been cited as the second respondent and received an interdict at approximately 8:30 a.m.

On 16 July 2013, the Registrar-General Mr Tobaiwa Mudede had filed an urgent application with the High Court seeking an order to ban RAU from launching its analysis of the voters’ roll. In his application, the Registrar-General argued that RAU was trying to assume powers which the Constitution gives to his office, and intended to cause chaos and anarchy within the country’s electoral system. The application was granted on 17 July morning by High Court Judge, Mr Justice Joseph Mafusire. The ban is reportedly tainted with procedural irregularities. The application was received and decided without a Certificate of Urgency, as required by law.

Additionally, RAU was not served with the application when it was filed with the High Court, but only later at the same time as the interdict order was delivered. The voters’ roll allegedly contains deceased voters, double entries and others false entries, and it is feared that the forthcoming general elections might produce a disputed result.

Human Rights Amassador for Salem-News.com expressed concern at the ban issued against the Research and Advocacy Unit. It believes this act to be solely motivated by the organisation’s legitimate human rights work, and views this ban on launching a report on the voters’ roll as incompatible with the right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed under international law.

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H.E. Robert Gabriel Mugabe Office of the President Munhumutapa Building Samora Machel Avenue Causeway Harare Zimbabwe Your Excellency, I am William Nicholas Gomes, Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-New.com. On 17 July 2013, Harare-based think tank Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU) was banned by the High Court from launching a report with its analysis of the voters’ roll. RAU is a non-governmental organisation whose work focuses on women, displacements and governance. RAU intended to host a launch event on the morning of 17 July 2013 at the Crowne Plaza, in the capital Harare. At 8:17 a.m. on that day, RAU received an ban by the Registrar-General issued by the High Court to stop the launch event from going ahead. Crowne Plaza has been cited as the second respondent and received an interdict at approximately 8.30 a.m. On 16 July 2013, the Registrar-General Mr Tobaiwa Mudede had filed an urgent application with the High Court seeking an order to ban RAU from launching its analysis of the voters’ roll. In his application, the Registrar-General argued that RAU was trying to assume powers which the Constitution gives to his office, and intended to cause chaos and anarchy within the country’s electoral system. The application was granted on 17 July morning by High Court Judge, Mr Justice Joseph Mafusire. The ban is reportedly tainted with procedural irregularities. The application was received and decided without a Certificate of Urgency, as required by law. Additionally, RAU was not served with the application when it was filed with the High Court, but only later at the same time as the interdict order was delivered. The voters’ roll allegedly contains deceased voters, double entries and others false entries, and it is feared that the forthcoming general elections might produce a disputed result. I would like to express my concern at the interdict issued against Research and Advocacy Unit. I believe this act to be solely motivated by the organisation’s legitimate human rights work, and view this ban on launching a report on the voters’ roll as incompatible with the right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed under international law. I urge the authorities in Zimbabwe to: Immediately and unconditionally drop the interdict against the Research and Advocacy Unit, as it is believed it is solely motivated by their peaceful and legitimate work in defence and promotion of human rights and good governance; Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders and civil society organisations in Zimbabwe are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions. Most respectfully, William Nicholas Gomes Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com Twitter@wnicholasgomes www.williamnicholasgomes.com

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http://williamnicholasgomes.com/

Salem-News.com Human Rights Ambassador William Nicholas Gomes is a Bangladeshi journalist, human rights activist and author was born on 25 December, 1985 in Dhaka. As an investigative journalist he wrote widely for leading European and Asian media outlets.

He is also active in advocating for free and independent media and journalists’ rights, and is part of the free media movement, Global Independent Media Center – an activist media network for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate telling of the truth. He worked for Italian news agency Asianews.it from year 2009 to 2011, on that time he was accredited as a free lance journalist by the press information department of Bangladesh. During this time he has reported a notable numbers of reports for the news agency which were translated into Chinese and Italian and quoted by notable number of new outlets all over the world.He, ideologically, identifies himself deeply attached with anarchism. His political views are often characterized as “leftist” or “left-wing,” and he has described himself as an individualist anarchist.