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Nelson Chamisa, the leading opposition leader and presidential candidate in Zimbabwe, thinks that he will overcome a wave of juvenile optimism, imitating Barack Obama, Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau
. Chamisa said Zimbabweans aspired to generational change in the July 30 historic elections. The vote will oppose President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a septuagenarian who was once a pillar of the Mugabe regime.
"People connect with young leaders," said Chamisa
"The world moves … young people" Take the lead, look at France, look at Canada, look at New Zealand, look at United States, "Barack Obama became president of the United States at 47, Justin Trudeau became prime minister at 43, while Emmanuel Macron became president at just 39.
" Most young people there – connect with our message, connect with my age – they connect with the vision I am articulating, "said Chamisa, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) since the death of his mentor and predecessor Morgan Tsvangirai in February
He will face Mnangagwa, 75, whose Zanu-PF party – which has ruled Zimbabwe since independence 38 years ago – has sought to portray Chami "I am happy that they are accusing me of being young, c & rsquo; Is an offense that I take, "said Chamisa behind an Apple laptop in her office overlooking the African Unity Square in Harare.
The public space was once a major protest site against former Robert Mugabe, 94, who ruled for 37 years during which he severely repressed his political opponents.
"Change is in the air – it is almost everywhere," said Chamisa, suggesting that Mugabe's exit from public life was "the beginning of this change".
Mugabe resigned in November after an unprecedented military protest of his reign that saw armored personnel carriers on the streets of Harare and drew accusations from some observers that Zimbabwe had suffered a coup. state.
He refused to seek power and insisted that he was conducting an operation targeting "criminals" around Mugabe.
This was widely accepted as meaning his wife Grace and his "G40" faction who supported him to succeed Mugabe as president of his former MP, Mnangagwa.
In a few days, Mugabe resigns from his position as head of state, driven out by the once-loyal ruling party.
(Mnangagwa) represents the past with myself representing the future, "said Chamisa who beamed with confidence and wore a charcoal suit and a burgundy tie." There is no way Mnangagwa will beat us, he is going to be a distant second – we are But Chamisa and his MDC party are facing a bitter struggle to win the all-powerful presidency.
The opposition is torn apart by the division since Tsvangirai's death with the emergence of several splinter groups of the MDC, threatening to dilute Chamisa. The poll also suggested that Zanu-PF still enjoys strong support in its northern center and in some rural areas.
Chamisa alleged that irregularities in the preparation of the elections, particularly related to the voters list and the printing of the ballots, could thwart his ambition to take the presidential oath.
"While in the past we have seen a flagrant and flagrant violation of human rights, what we are seeing is almost a subtle and subterranean approach," he said.
Voters lists and ballots were examples of "technical violence" and accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of "manipulating the processes".
"But we are still very optimistic – once we have printed the ballots We hope that the presence of teams of foreign observers, including a mission of the European Union to the first time in 16 years, will guarantee a fair vote.
19659002] But Chamisa has accused some observers of being seduced by the pro-democracy "rhetoric" of Mnangagwa.
"We believe that". they fell into the trick, that we sold them the model that Mr. Mnangagwa is ready for free and fair elections when in fact he is not, "he is
Chamisa warned that his party would seek to "stop any process that is illegal."
"We will not allow any repetition of the elections where they deceived my predecessor," he said in reference to several previous polls. were widely condemned for being faked. [19659002] The deadly attacks on MDC supporters in 2008 forced Tsvangirai to withdraw from the second round of voting, thus giving Mugabe victory.
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