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Chamisa Calls For Removal Of Presidential Age Limit, Responds To Criticism He Is Not Mature

5 years agoMon, 24 Dec 2018 21:35:44 GMT
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Chamisa Calls For Removal Of Presidential Age Limit, Responds To Criticism He Is Not Mature

In an interview with The Standard’s chief reporter Everson Mushava (EM), MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa (NC) called for the removal of the presidential age limit.

Chamisa said the presidential age limit should be reduced to 18 to make sure the right to vote moves with the right to be voted. He also responded to criticism that he lacks maturity. Chamisa said maturity is defined in the ability to give Zimbabweans a decent life. Below is an excerpt of the interview:

EM: In the run-up to the recent Zanu PF annual conference, war veterans said they wanted the minimum age for presidential election candidates to be raised from 40 to 52 years and this would have disqualified you from contesting the next election. What are your thoughts on that?

NC: I talk to war veterans every time. The genuine war veterans are interested in genuine discourse that makes our country move forward. I have never doubted their commitment to a better life for all Zimbabweans and the reason why the war was waged was to give effect to the liberation agenda. It requires unanimous endorsement of the support given to universal suffrage. That was the core of the liberation struggle, and it includes the right to vote and to be voted for.

In fact, we should actually reduce the presidential age limit to 18. If you are able to vote, you should also be able to be voted for. We should actually remove the presidential bar and make sure the right to vote moves with the right to be voted.

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All the war veterans went to war at a tender age, the likes of (vice-presidents) Constantino Chiwenga, Kembo Mohadi and Mnangagwa himself.

EM: Those making such a proposal say you are not mature. What is your reaction to that?

NC: What is the definition of maturity? I don’t know what they are talking about. There are people who think age comes with wisdom. Others have grown old without growing up, especially in Zanu PF. The legal age of majority was decided after several considerations.

Barack Obama was leader of the United States of America at a tender age and succeeded, the same with [Emmanuel] Macron of France; they are in their prime time.

If maturity is a crime associated with not being hardened in the old school of corruption and killing, then I am guilty as charged. That is not the type of politics that I believe in. Maturity is defined in the ability to give Zimbabweans a decent life.

Maturity is defined by the currency your people use, the hospitals the people go to, and many other factors, but now if you look at these, I can say that most of our leaders lack maturity.

Most of these old politicians are late bloomers, they are blooming in their 70s and 80s and they want everyone to wait.

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