Diaspora
Essential Principles "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. . . . The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures."
Article 21, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948
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- Written by: Chief (Inkosi) Felix Nhlanhla Ndiweni, John Burke and Moses MBANO
- Hits: 42
If consent of the governed is the most fundamental concept of democracy, its most essential right is that of citizens to choose their leaders in free, fair, and regular elections. Other rights are necessary to democracy; elections by themselves are insufficient.
Yet the right to freely elect one's representatives and to influence the political direction of one's government is democracy's indispensable political foundation.
Without free elections, there is neither the possibility for citizens to express their will nor the opportunity for citizens to change their leaders, approve policies for the country, address wrongs, or protest the limitation of their rights. Elections establish the citizenry's and the individual's political rights. They are the ongoing representation of the consent of the governed (see previous section).
Around the world, millions of people have braved violence, intimidation, and other obstacles to demand the right to express their will through the ballot box. Often, students and youth have played leading roles in this worldwide epic, such as the Otpor movement in Serbia, which helped to overthrow the dictator Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, or the Iranian Green Revolution, which protested the stealing of elections in 2009. In the United States, young people played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, including thousands of students who challenged segregation throughout the South or volunteered to register black citizens to vote.
Representative and Electoral Systems
The majority of democracies have chosen to establish parliamentary systems, in which elections for the legislature also determine the party in control of the executive branch. This means that the party (or coalition) with a majority of seats in parliament forms the government. (Although there are occasions of minority coalitions forming governments, they typically have majority support in parliament.) In a presidential system, such as in the United States, or in a mixed presidential-parliamentary system, such as in France and Poland, there are separate elections for the head of the executive branch and the legislature. Although parliamentary systems may reflect more directly the citizens' will, presidential or mixed systems may provide greater checks and balances on the exercise of power (see also Constitutional Limits).
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- Written by: Henry Makambe and John Burke
- Hits: 124
The Dual petition handover was a 'first' as organised by ZHRO and CCC Manchester, that injustice is happening in Zimbabwe across many aspects of everyday life - from delivering children to political freedoms - or lack thereof.
Dickson, Tendai, Model, Simbarasche, Greatman and Kelvin {see photo} delivered the 24 page written petition to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer at 13:30 Thursday 24th October 2024 {and an additional copy was e-mailed to Robert Ison on the Zimbabwe Desk round the corner at the FCDO}
The hand over of these two petitions is sending a strong message that things are problematic for the citizens in Zimbabwe {non Zanu PF citizens - as those get their medacl attention overseas - and they control all the legal aspects}.
The women's group later in the day {at 14:30} handed over a petition looking at the terrible situation with maternal mortality and childhood related fatalities. These were Melody, Josephine, Jane, Diana and helped by their Organiser Ronald {see the days write up below}.
Three of the lady petitioners have already provided feedback on how they felt the day within the gates of Downing Street had meant to them, more will follow.
Phillis Melody {CLICK HERE to read her reaction}
Josephine {CLICK HERE to read this report}
Jane Mundangepfupfu's reaction is within the body of the write up of the 24th October 2024, as is further writing from Josephine Jenje-Mudimbu.
That full report can be found at this link {CLICK HERE} from the petitions I should like to quote the following extracts and facts from the full written petition regarding the Constitutional and other Injustices within Zimbabwe -
