Mnangagwa concludes election campaigning ahead of poll

By Xinhua

HARARE: Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Saturday concluded his election campaigning trail in his home province of Midlands, urging voters to retain his party in power for the country to achieve its vision of becoming a middle-income economy by 2030.

Clad in his trademark ZANU-PF party regalia, Mnangagwa told thousands of party supporters gathered in Shurugwi in the Midlands Province that the ruling party was the only one with a track record of safeguarding the country’s independence and entrenching democracy, and still needs more time in power to industrialize, modernize and develop the country.

“ZANU-PF is ready to again receive the full endorsement and mandate of the people of Zimbabwe during the Aug. 23 harmonized elections. We need more time for us to build our motherland. Zimbabwe is ready to accelerate the implementation of socio-economic development for our motherland. We are determined to lift more and more of our people out of poverty into higher quality of life no matter where they live,” he said.

“I once again invite all of our fellow countrymen and women to join ZANU-PF and vote for the ruling party. A vote for ZANU-PF confirms us all as the architects and masters of our destiny,” Mnangagwa said.

He urged Zimbabweans to reject a puppet government by voting against the opposition Citizens Coalition of Change (CCC), which ZANU-PF has labelled as a “puppet of the West.”

The opposition CCC is the main challenger of ZANU-PF in the upcoming polls to choose a president, Members of Parliament and representatives of local governments.

He said the ruling party was ready and well-prepared for victory in the forthcoming harmonized polls.

He reminded foreign observers to remain objective and impartial in their observation of elections, pointing out that no country is qualified to teach Zimbabwe on democracy.

Zimbabwe has nothing to hide, having invited more than 45 countries, 17 regional and international organizations and all diplomatic missions accredited to Zimbabwe to observe the polls, he said.