Mugabe pushes ahead with election, without Tsvangirai

By Tichaona Sibanda
26 June 2008

Robert Mugabe has vowed to go ahead with Friday’s presidential run-off despite opponent Morgan Tsvangirai withdrawing from the race. The regime has chosen to ignore regional and international pleas to postpone the election to a later date because of the state sponsored violence against MDC supporters.
The Airforce of Zimbabwe’s Air Vice-Marshall, Henry Muchena, told a meeting of Zanu-PF supporters at Ruvimbo primary school in Mbizvo, KweKwe on Wednesday that he would personally send the army to deal with ‘sellouts’ who do not vote on Friday.

The MDC MP for Mbizvo, Settlement Chikwinya, told us that Muchena told the gathering that soldiers would be checking for traces of the red indelible ink on everyone’s fingers, to see who voted.
‘He promised to unleash his thugs on MDC supporters who intend to boycott the elections. But our supporters are saying they will simply go there and spoil the papers,’ Chikwinya said.

International rejection of Friday’s run-off is mounting each day, with the United States and almost all European countries saying they will not recognise the result. Former South African President Nelson Mandela on Wednesday broke his silence on the crisis to castigate the ‘tragic failure of leadership’ in the country. US President George W. Bush last night called the run-off a ‘sham’. South Africa’s ruling ANC which, in contrast to President Thabo Mbeki has been severely critical of Mugabe, said it was not too late to call off the vote.

Their spokeswoman Jesse Duarte said the ANC is convinced that it is not too late for Mugabe to cancel the election and lead the country in dialogue that will be for the good of all Zimbabweans.

SADC’s organ on Defence and Security, the Troika, also called for a postponement of the poll, saying the outcome will not be credible. But divisions in the region were laid bare when Mbeki declined to attend their meeting. Nonetheless, a growing number of African leaders, including Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, have criticised the state-orchestrated violence against Zanu-PF opponents. The European Union on Thursday also backed the SADC Troika’s call to postpone the run-off, saying the results of the poll would not reflect the will of the people. In a statement, EU president Slovenia also expressed concern about violence that has dogged campaigning for Friday’s election, which the SADC wants delayed.

The statement said harassment of the opposition and the campaign of violence in the country have led to Morgan Tsvangirai’s decision to withdraw from the second round of the presidential elections.
‘These circumstances cannot credibly lead to a result that reflects the will of the Zimbabwean people. Therefore, the presidency expresses its full support to the SADC call for the postponement of the second round of the elections,’ the statement added.

On Tuesday election observers sent by the Pan African Parliament started leaving Zimbabwe, after the withdrawal from the run-off by Morgan Tsvangirai.
A Botswana Member of Parliament and PAP observer, Keletso Rakhudu, confirmed to a Tswana daily newspaper The Mmegi, that there was no need to keep the observers in the country because ‘technically there are no elections’.

The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner, Louise Arbour, on Thursday called for justice and accountability, in response to the campaign of political violence that has marred Zimbabwe’s electoral process. She also called for an immediate end to the violence.
‘Victims and their relatives deserve justice. Those who perpetrate crimes must be held to account,’ Arbour said.

Over 80 MDC activists have been killed, 3000 hospitalized, at least 10,000 injured and over 200 000 internally displaced since the 29th March harmonized elections.
Currently more than 2000 MDC polling agents are still locked in police cells, but have not been charged with any crimes.

Party spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the MDC has made it clear they would not be participating in Friday’s circus.

‘The conditions on the ground are not conducive to the conduct of free and fair elections. The region, the United Nations and the international community, have also made it clear that what is going to happen tomorrow (Friday) is a sham,’ Chamisa said.

Chamisa added they have information Zanu PF has been paying it’s own people amounts ranging from Z$50 billion to Z$100 billion to masquerade as MDC polling agents who will then sign the V11 forms and validate the process.

‘The fake MDC polling agents will give the impression that the party is participating in tomorrow’s drama, when in fact Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF will be acting out their comedy alone,’ he added.