Zimbabwe elections: Will the world stop Mugabe?
President Robert Mugabe is 'preparing for war,' according to the main opposition leader.
from the April 7, 2008 edition
Page 2 of 3
Over the weekend, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai released tabulated results, posted by the ZEC outside each polling station, claiming victory with 50.3 percent over Mugabe's 42.9 percent. An independent group, Zimbabwean Election Support Network, put the figures at 49.4 percent and 41.8 percent respectively, indicating that it would be necessary to hold a runoff vote within three weeks.
The state-owned Sunday Mail newspaper reported that Mugabe's party was challenging election results from 16 parliamentary seats, including four constituencies in the Mberengwa area, implying that the ZEC had skewed election results in favor of the opposition.
"As will soon become apparent, the constituency elections officer and his team committed errors of miscounting that are so glaring as to prejudice not just our clients' candidate," but also ruling ZANU-PF party candidates running for Parliament, the ZANU-PF said in a letter of complaint to the ZEC, quoted by the Sunday Mail.
ZANU-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa confirmed that his party would be challenging 16 House of Assembly seats won by the MDC, adding that his party was confident that reclaiming the 16 seats won by the MDC would allow ZANU-PF to regain majority in the House of Assembly.
In some parts of the country, veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation war against the former white-ruled government of Rhodesia – staunch backers of Mugabe – have set up bases waiting for a green light to strike at white farmers and supporters of the MDC.
Time for the UN to step in?
Ozias Tungawara, a Zimbabwe expert at the Open Society Institute in Johannesburg, says that "there is no hope in expecting that the SADC is going to act in a democratic way. The SADC is a club of executives, they are going to close ranks to support each other and to support Mugabe in holding onto power."
But while the SADC and the AU seem to refuse "to hold ZANU-PF to account," in terms of upholding AU standards on the conduct of elections, Mr. Tungawara says that it's time for the UN to step in. "It's high time that the UN take a decisive role and pronounce to the ZANU-PF government that they must adhere to the principles of the UN in terms of democracy and governance. We expect much more stringent action by the UN in intervening more directly in Zimbabwe."
In Harare, Mr. Tsvangirai claimed that strong-arm tactics such as the raiding of MDC offices on Thursday night, the arrest of foreign journalists, and the growing presence of armed riot police on the streets all signal that Mugabe is "preparing a war against the people."
"Mugabe must accept that the country needs to move forward," said Tsvangirai. "He cannot hold the country to ransom. He is the problem not the solution."
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