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Zimbabwe's neighbours seen to protect Mugabe
Agence- France- Presse
March 31, 2008

http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=080331124222.fs2jcy4r.php

Robert Mugabe's neighbors stood accused on Monday of trying to defend Zimbabwe's president to the last, when regional observers gave weekend elections a largely clean bill of health.

Despite accusations by the Zimbabwean opposition that Mugabe was clearly trying to rig his way to a sixth term in office, an observer mission from the Southern African Development Community declared the vote was "credible" and reflected the "will of the people", while noting a number of irregularities.

The verdict from the 14-nation regional bloc's mission, which delivered by an Angolan cabinet minister, was greeted with disdain by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and even some members of the SADC delegation who refused to put their name to the report.

MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti said the head of the mission, Jose Marcos Barrica, was "in bed" with the Mugabe regime and pointedly asked why SADC had delivered its assessment "even before the results are out."

SADC has long been reluctant to upbraid Mugabe.
When its leaders held a special summit last year following a spate of attacks by the Zimbabwean security services on opposition leaders, they declined to issue any public criticism of Mugabe but instead "reaffirmed (SADC) solidarity with the government and the people of Zimbabwe."

South African President Thabo Mbeki was handed the task at the same meeting in Tanzania of mediating between Mugabe's party and the MDC in the run-up to the elections.

But while Mbeki was to eventually proclaim the holding of elections as vindication of his efforts, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai not only said the mediation had been a failure but also implored the South African leader to show some "courage" towards his northern neighbor.

Mbeki however has argued that public criticism will only exacerbate the situation and he has stuck doggedly to policy of "quiet diplomacy" towards a leader who is still widely revered for bringing an end to whites-only rule.

While Western countries publicly backed Mbeki's mediation efforts, they have been increasingly exasperated over the soft line taken towards Mugabe.

Despite SADC's efforts to keep Zimbabwe off the agenda at an EU-Africa summit in Lisbon in December, four European leaders rounded on Mugabe in front of his peers with German Chancellor Angela Merkel accusing him of undermining the image of the continent.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued an even more withering verdict on Sunday in which she said Mugabe had brought not only shame to his country and the region but to Africa as a whole.

"The Mugabe regime is a disgrace to the people of Zimbabwe and a disgrace to southern Africa and to the continent of Africa as a whole," she told reporters.

Her verdict was echoed by a lawmaker from South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance, who refused to sign the SADC mission's preliminary report after their trip to Zimbabwe.

"Where Africa is supposed to monitor its own states and supposed to crack the whip if governance in a particular country is unacceptable, frankly it has done absolutely nothing," Dianne Kohler-Barnard told AFP.

She condemned the "chaotic" elections which she said were too flawed to be considered free and fair.

"They (SADC) do a very neat, sanitised job, and that does Africa no good whatsoever. We have to behave with honour. If they are flouting regulations we need to say it."

South Africa's African Christian Democratic Party meanwhile said it was hopeful that "against all odds the voice of the Zimbabwean people will be heard."

"Police presence and assistance in polling booths is unacceptable and we are somewhat concerned that observer missions have not been more vocal on this issue," said the party's chief whip Cheryllyn Dudley.

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