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MDC condemns unilateral invitation of Iranian leader
Movement for Democratic Change
April 15, 2010

The unilateral decision by Zanu PF to invite Iranian leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to officially open the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair is not only a colossal political scandal, but an insult to the peace-loving people of Zimbabwe and Iran. The MDC condemns the scandalous invitation of Ahmadinejad. His visit will definitely send a wrong message about the kind of company that we keep at a time when the people of Africa and the rest of the world have begun to see us as a nation working hard to restore democracy and good governance.

It is no secret that Ahmadinejad has perforated human rights credentials. He has made his reputation as a war monger, a trampler of human rights, an executioner of those with dissenting voices and a leader of questionable legitimacy due to his controversial electoral victory in last year's Presidential election in June. While we understand Mr Mugabe's shared values with Ahmadinejad, whose legitimacy is in tatters following the contestation of last year's Presidential results by the Green Movement party led by Mir Hossein Mousavi, we call upon the inclusive government to desist from associating our peace-loving country with despots.

While Ahmadinejad will be wining and dining in our country next week, nine opposition activists in Iran will be facing death sentences for merely contesting the outcome of last year's Presidential results. As a party, we feel that a country is defined by its friends. We want to place it on record that judging by his record, Ahmadinejad is coming not as a friend of Zimbabwe, but an ally of those that unilaterally invited him. Choice of friends defines character and inviting the Iranian strongman to an investment forum is like inviting a mosquito to cure malaria. Hobnobbing with dubious political leaders confirms stereotypes that we are a banana republic.

The MDC is concerned by wide spread reports from Iran of arbitrary killing of protestors and human rights defenders in order to crash dissent. We feel that Ahmadinejad is a personification of the kind of society that we are moving away from ever since Zimbabwe's train of hope left station with formation of the inclusive government on 13 February 2009. Ahmadinejad's visit is not only an insult to the people of Zimbabwe, but an affront to democracy and to the oppressed people of Iran.

The visit puts a big dent on the country's image and will no doubt send a negative message to investors who will be wondering whether their investment is safe with those who play host to human rights abusers. Zimbabweans want peace and prosperity. They want food, jobs, better health care and education. They want hope, security, prosperity, freedom and dignity. They have no time to spend with leaders with a perforated human rights record.

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