Zim election undemocratic: SADC
Luyanda Makapela
1 July 2008
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) observer mission has announced that the process leading up to Friday's one-horse Zimbabwe presidential run-off elections did not conform to its principles and guidelines governing democratic elections.
The election, which resulted in Robert Mugabe being sworn in as president of Zimbabwe on Sunday, went ahead despite international appeals for a postponement given the violence and intimidation that preceded it. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had withdrawn from the election, citing violence against his supporters.
The situation in Zimbabwe is high on the agenda of the African Union (AU) summit which began in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on Monday.
A report presented on Monday by Angolan Minister of Youth and Sport, Jose Marcos Barrica, who headed the SADC election observer mission in Zimbabwe, noted that the pre-election phase was characterised by politically motivated violence, intimidation and displacements.
"Based on the above mentioned observations, the mission is of the view that the prevailing environment impinged on the credibility of the electoral process," Barrica told reporters at the AU Summit.
"The election did not represent the will of the people of Zimbabwe."
Barrica said the period leading up to the run-off was also charectarised by politically motivated violence resulting in loss of lives, damage to property, and serious injuries sustained during political activities. The violence was most acute in Mashonaland East, West and Central, Manicaland, Masvingo, and Harare.
"This politically motivated violence has led to the internal displacements of persons and impacted negatively on the full participation of citizens in the political process and their freedom of association."
He added that on numerous occasions, victims of politically motivated violence alleged that Zimbabwe's security forces did little to stop the violence or arrest the perpetrators.
"We strongly recommend that SADC mediation efforts should be continued in order to assist the people and leadership of Zimbabwe to resolve the problems they are facing and bring the country to normality," Barrica said.
Election outcome illegitimate: UN chief
On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also criticised the outcome of the election, calling it illegitimate.
"The outcome did not reflect the true and genuine will of the Zimbabwean people or produce a legitimate result," Ban's spokesperson said in a statement issued in Tokyo, where Ban is on an official visit.
"The secretary-general has said repeatedly that conditions were not in place for a free and fair election, and observers have confirmed this from the deeply flawed process," the statement read.
"The secretary-general encourages efforts of the two sides to negotiate a political solution that would end violence and intimidation."
Ban expressed support for the efforts of the AU and SADC to promote an agreement acceptable to the people of Zimbabwe, adding that UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro and senior UN political aide Haile Menkerios - who are both at the AU summit - were ready to help in any way possible.
Source: BuaNews
