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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
Crisis
deserves SADC intervention
The Times
of Zambia (Ndola)
April 10, 2008
http://allafrica.com/stories/200804101032.html
The deepening
political crisis brewing in neighbouring Zimbabwe over election
results, which has been caused by the delay in announcing a winner,
deserves quick regional intervention and sensitive handling by SADC.
President Mwanawasa,
who is the current chairman for the regional grouping, has made
a timely call to convene an emergency meeting of heads of State
this weekend which, it is hoped, will help thrash out all the uncertainties
to do with the election results and also aid Zimbabwe to diffuse
a potentially explosive situation before it gets completely out
of hand.
However, the final solution
to this misunderstanding lies with the feuding factions and the
people of Zimbabwe themselves to settle the matter. And whatever
happens, all sides need to be mindful of the national interest as
being of paramount value.
Elections and election
results have always been a matter of great controversy amongst opposing
parties, especially in Africa, and the case of Zimbabwe is no exception.
The challenges of post-election animosity have always been a matter
for careful mediation and in most cases have been settled amicably.
That is, however, not to say there is a problem.
Memories are still fresh
of the case of Kenya, where hundreds of lives were lost. That example
should not be repeated and, hopefully, Zimbabweans garnered some
lessons from it.
SADC and other observers
should, however, also be mindful that such situations are usually
aggravated when there is more unwarranted international meddling
by other more powerful countries.
This SADC intervention
is, therefore, critical to the whole process of resolving the growing
post-election conflict in Zimbabwe.
As Dr Mwanawasa has stated,
the people of Zimbabwe have so far shown great character, resilience
and patience in ensuring that no violence has broken out and that
at the end of the day a lasting solution is found.
Zimbabweans who have
gone through some of the worst economic recession ever witnessed
in any other African country must take it upon themselves to ensure
that they find a remedy to this malaise and for them to ensure that
they secure a future for succeeding generations.
It is also in the interest
of the whole region to ensure that a lasting solution is found in
this Southern African country which only 28 years ago was embroiled
in armed conflict during a prolonged liberation struggle against
colonialism.
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