Back to Index

This article participates on the following special index pages:

Southern African leaders urge Zimbabwe to delay poll
Nasreen Seria and Brian Latham, Bloomberg.com
June 25, 2008

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=atmMgP06hH2g&refer=africa

Southern African leaders urged Zimbabwe to delay the runoff election in which President Robert Mugabe hopes to extend his 28-year rule, as the main opposition leader called for foreign help to end the country's political crisis.

Holding an election under the current political climate in Zimbabwe "may undermine the credibility and legitimacy of the outcome,'' Tomaz Salomao, executive secretary of the Southern African Development Community, told reporters in Mbabane, Swaziland, today. He spoke after a meeting of the 14-nation group's defense committee, which oversees regional security.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, pulled out of the June 27 presidential runoff this week after 86 people were killed and 200,000 forced from their homes in what his party said is a state-sponsored campaign of violence. Tsvangirai called on the African Union and SADC to lead a transition process and said international peacekeepers should be deployed in the country.

"Because of the current charged atmosphere, the parties and people of Zimbabwe deserve a cooling off period,'' Salomao said. During the postponement, "`the parties should engage in talks with the aim of finding best possible ways of resolving their differences and creating a conducive environment for holding the election.''

The SADC meeting, which was also attended by African Union Chairman Jakaya Kikwete and Swaziland's King Mswati, "noted with concern and disappointment'' that Tsvangirai had pulled out of the runoff, Salomao said. He didn't elaborate.

Election goes ahead
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, whose members are appointed by Mugabe, said today that the vote will go ahead as planned because Tsvangirai missed the 21-day deadline to withdraw. Tsvangirai announced on June 22 he wouldn't participate.

``There has been no change to our plans and everything is in place for the election,'' George Chiweshe, chairman of the commission, said in a telephone interview today from the capital, Harare. "We don't recognize his withdrawal.''

SADC's call for a postponement of the election came after Tsvangirai urged African leaders to support a transition process in Zimbabwe "which takes into account the will of the Zimbabwean people as exercised on March 29.''

``We have always maintained that the Zimbabwean problem is an African problem that requires an African solution,'' he said.

Increasing attacks
Attacks on Tsvangirai and the MDC by Mugabe supporters have increased since the party won the most votes in the first round of presidential balloting on March 29 and took control of the parliament's House of Assembly, according to groups including Amnesty International.

Yesterday, Mayemureyi Munhuri, a newly elected MDC senator, and 33 of the party's supporters were abducted by unidentified gunmen in the eastern district of Gaza.

"Senator Munhuri and her husband were abducted at gunpoint from their home yesterday,'' MDC lawmaker Pishai Muchauraya said in a telephone interview from Harare today. "It is a worrying trend because we've seen an escalation in abductions since Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew his nomination.''

The United Nations says it will be impossible to hold a free and fair election on June 27, while the U.S. and U.K. are leading international calls for the vote to be postponed.

Tsvangirai said foreign peacekeepers should be deployed to save democracy in his country.

'Protective shield'
"The people of Zimbabwe need the words of indignation from global leaders to be backed by the moral rectitude of military force,'' Tsvangirai wrote in the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper today. Peacekeepers would "separate the people from their oppressors and cast the protective shield around the democratic process for which Zimbabwe yearns.''

Mike Davies, an analyst with the Eurasia Group in London, said foreign peacekeepers were unlikely to be deployed in Zimbabwe because of regional reluctance for outside involvement in the country's political affairs.

"It would be incredibly challenging given the politics in Zimbabwe and in the region to gain agreement on sending peacekeeping troops,'' Davies said in a telephone interview. "There is also the issue of capacity: the African Union is already stretched with their other deployments in places such as Somalia and Sudan.''

In an e-mailed statement, Tsvangirai said four steps must be taken to address the country's political and economic crisis, including ending the violence and allowing humanitarian assistance into the country. In addition lawmakers elected in March should be sworn in, while all political prisoners should be released.

Death penalty
Tendai Biti, the deputy leader of the MDC, was arrested on June 12 and may face treason charges, which carry the death penalty.

"Let me say clearly that there is no discussion about moving forward without our Secretary-General Tendai Biti, who has been so instrumental in all of our plans and discussions,'' Tsvangirai said. "Biti is an indispensable asset of the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe. He must be released immediately.''

South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has been tasked by SADC with mediating to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe, didn't attend today's meeting, Kikwete said. Mbeki briefed the security committee and King Mswati yesterday on his efforts to mediate in the dispute.

"All that he wanted us to know, he has communicated to us,'' Kikwete said. "He briefed us on exactly where they are,'' he said, without providing details.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP