except for diplomats and civil servants - living abroad to vote, and has made it clear it intends to maintain the ban. Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa says that allowing voting to take place outside the country will lead to cheating. However, Madzingo pointed out that in elections last year, two of Zimbabwe's neighbours, Botswana and Mozambique, made special provision for their nationals to vote at embassies in foreign countries. Chinamasa also said that allowing exiles to vote would "not be possible because of sanctions imposed by the European and American governments banned top members of Mugabes iner circle from visiting those countries, and meant that they would not be able to campaign there. Last year the central bank dispatched officials to Europe, South Africa and the United States to persuade exiles to send cash home to their relatives, to boost Zimbabwe's shrunken foreign exchange reserves. At meetings with the exiles, the bankers were told repeatedly: "No vote, no money." --MORE 2324 Local Time 2024 GMT
