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CTJP unhappy about the conduct of recent parliamentary elections
Christians Together for Justice and Peace (CTJP)
April 06, 2005

We, Christians Together for Justice and Peace, informal ecumenical group of Church leaders from a wide range of different denominations, wish to record our profound unhappiness about the conduct of the recent parliamentary elections.

We hold no brief for any political party and maintain our strictly non-partisan approach to political and social issues. Our aim rather is to apply theological insight and spiritual discernment in seeking to understand the nature of the crisis confronting us all in Zimbabwe.

Until we have such an understanding we cannot begin the task national healing and social transformation in which the Church has a unique and essential role to play.

We start with the facts which in our view, and having made careful enquiry, are beyond dispute – namely that the whole electoral process was seriously flawed. We are persuaded by our own pastoral experience and by the irrefutable evidence provided by those of integrity and insight who observed the process, that the elections were neither free nor fair.

Indeed it was seen long before March 31 that a free and fair contest would not be possible in this environment of massive intimidation – not at least through the control of food as a means of political influence. In the event reports of what happened during and after the vote confirm our worst fears of comprehensive vote rigging.

We are left therefore with an inconclusive outcome which does nothing to resolve the deepening political, social and economic crisis in our country. Those who rule, and claim the right to rule on the basis of such a flawed election process, have lost all credibility. They now lack all moral and spiritual legitimacy. Certainly they exercise de facto control in the running of the country, but this measure of political authority rests solely on military might, and the fear to which it gives rise. From a Christian perspective this is totally unacceptable. We cannot adjust to such a situation of misplaced authority or urge our congregations to do so.

This leaves our nation in a parlous state in which we can expect the dubious authority of an illegitimate regime to be contested by those who have effectively been deprived of the democratic right to vote for another government. It is in this context that we understand the comments made by our brother in Christ, Archbishop Pius Ncube, when he warned recently of a mass uprising. In our view he was right to warn the nation of this danger. We discern a deep sense of anger and resentment among the people at those who cheated them in the recent elections, and though this anger may be held in check for a while by the massive display of force which the regime has used, in the longer term it portends a dangerous level of social unrest. The anger may soon or later lead to violence. This is the reality the Church, and indeed all who seek the peace and wee-being of the nation, must deal with. Those who believe in the non-violent option for social change – as we do, passionately – now have an urgent task before them. We must explore together all the non-violent options available to effect peaceful change.

Any delay will only assist those bent on a violent solution to the crisis.

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