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2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
Zimbabwe's
poll result 'a state secret'
Fiona Forde, Reuters
April 10, 2008
http://www.capetimes.co.za/?fArticleId=4345948
The Zimbabwean Electoral
Commission has been moved to a secret location and is now subject
to national security, while it has emerged that high-ranking army
officers have been deployed to masquerade as war veterans during
the expected run-off campaign.
It is understood the
state-run electoral body, which is in possession of the presidential
ballot papers, was moved early on Tuesday.
Movement for Democratic
Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai and independent Simba Makoni, both
of whom ran against President Robert Mugabe on March 29, have been
denied access to the electoral commission team and have been unable
to find out where it has been moved.
"Simba asked that
some of his team be allowed access to the commission, but he was
refused," Kudzai Mdudazi, a member of Makoni's team, said last
night.
The MDC was told that
it did "not have the right to be present" for the final
count of the presidential votes. This was now a "state secret
of national security", the party was told.
Until Tuesday, the electoral
commission had been using Rainbow Towers here, site of the former
Sheraton Hotel. There had been signs that its operations were being
wound down, although confirmation was not forthcoming until yesterday.
"If the verification
process is done in private, then nothing they say at this stage
can have any credibility as the results will have been so heavily
diluted," Mdudazi said.
Other sources think the
regime's resorting to such extreme measures suggests desperation
in Mugabe's camp.
"Mugabe must have
gone down badly if this is what they are doing," said one.
The source believes there
will be a run-off, but is unable to say when. "Zanu-PF will
take as much time as they want," he said.
Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa said the ruling party's tallies of the results showed
a run-off would be necessary between Mugabe and Tsvangirai. "None
of the candidates has been able to secure (the number of votes)
required to avoid a run-off."
Meanwhile, a number of
well-placed sources claim senior army officers are being deployed
to hot spots around the country to masquerade as war veterans during
the run-off campaign.
According to a list of
names released to the Cape Times, the head of the Defence Forces,
Constantine Chiwenga, is to direct the estimated 200 officers who
are to mobilise support for Mugabe with the intention, one source
said, of "squeezing the space for the MDC".
Also listed are the officers
who are to assist in the operation. They include Lieutenant-General
P V Sibanda and Major General Nick Dube.
Tsvangirai was in Botswana
last night as part of a whistle-stop tour of the region to appeal
for urgent intervention.
Zambian President Levy
Mwanawasa, chair of the Southern African Development Community,
has called an urgent summit of regional leaders for Saturday. It
is unclear whether Mugabe will attend.
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