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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
SA
observer rejects SADC claims of credible election
Statement by Dianne Kohler Barnard, MP, SW Radio
Africa
March 31, 2008
http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/daobservers310308.htm
DA rejects SADC
assessment of Zimbabwe election as "peaceful and credible"
The slow release
of election results in Zimbabwe following on the 29th March 2008
poll only serves to underscore the impression that efforts are being
made to rig the result in favour of the ruling party.
It is clear
from our observations on the ground as well as from our interactions
with Zimbabwean civil society that any opposition victory would
be an extraordinary accomplishment given how skewed the elections
were in favour of ZANU-PF. In addition to this, the move by the
SADC observer mission to label the elections as a "peaceful
and credible expression of the will of the people of Zimbabwe",
is both premature and without basis. The universally accepted standard
for the assessment of any election is to determine whether it was
both free and fair. In the case of this weekend's poll, as
has been the case in Zimbabwean elections since 2000, this standard
was far from being attained.
As per our stated
intention the DA will formally submit to the head of the SADC observer
mission, Angolan Minister Jose Marcos Barrica, a report which details
a number of critical factors which preclude assessment of the poll
as having been genuinely democratic. The DA's mandate was
not to favour any particular political party, but rather to help
determine whether the process was free and fair - which it
was neither. Of the thirteen tenets contained within the SADC guidelines
on the holding of elections - only two were complied with.
The rest were violated as result of the following factors:
- The fact
that the organization and administration of the elections was
chaotic. There were 3 million extra ballots printed (it was rumored
that these had been or would be placed in key polling stations
in urban areas by the Zimbabwean military);
- The presence
of police officers in polling stations, which precluded the poll
being held in an environment that was free from intimidation.
The very same police officers have been guilty of terrorizing
opposition supporters for the last eight years - including assaulting
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai;
- Opposition
political rallies were cancelled at the last minute.
- The DA has
documentary proof of violence and the torture of opposition members
including hospital records. These were subsequently passed onto
the to the SADC observer mission head;
- The extensive
use of state patronage, including the handing out of food, medical
supplies etc., which occurred at ZANU PF rallies.
- The state
media coverage of the election, which was completely biased in
favour of ZANU-PF.
- Both the
lack of accreditation for observers to monitor the counting of
ballots, and the delayed announcement of election results have
hindered proper scrutiny of the poll.
- The threat
by security chiefs to ignore an opposition victory has created
the very real fear of a possible coup. When asked if action had
been taken against the officials making this threat, ANC members
of the SADC delegation laughed with amusement;
- The immediate
post-election environment has been characterised by fear and rumours.
The delayed release of results and overall lack of information
underscores the fear that vote rigging is taking place.
The DA will
continue to object in the strongest possible terms to any report
on the Zimbabwe election which fails to properly acknowledge these
issues and is not reflective of the true situation in Zimbabwe.
As the situation remains tense in the country, it is now more critical
than ever that the South African government send the message that
it will not accept any result which does not express the will of
the Zimbabwean people.
Media
enquiries:
Dianne
Kohler Barnard, MP - 082 823 7047 Lindiwe Mazibuko -
072 805 2220
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