Tom Peterkin said:
Last Updated: 8:21AM BST 26/06/2008
Morgan Tsvangirai has warned Robert Mugabe that he will be exposed as a brutal and illegitimate dictator unless he commits to a compromise with Zimbabwe's opposition in the next 24 hours. Mr Tsvangirai, the leader of Zimbabwe's opposition party, said the time for talking would be over if Mr Mugabe went ahead with tomorrow's election in his absence.
The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change party has pulled out of the run-off election blaming Mr Mugabwe's government saying that contesting the poll would put his supporters' lives at risk. Now taking refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare, Mr Tsvangiri said: "Negotiations will be over if Mr Mugabe declares himself the winner and considers himself the president. How can we negotiate?" If Mr Mugabe approached him after the election, Mr Tsvangirai said he would refuse to deal with him.
"I told you I would negotiate before the elections and not after - because it's not about elections, it's about transition. "You disregarded that, you undertook violence against my supporters, you killed and maimed, you are still killing and maiming unarmed civilians, the army is still out there. "How can you call yourself an elected president? You are illegitimate and I will not speak to an illegitimate president." Mr Tsvangirai withdrew from the contest after winning the first round of election in March. The narrow margin of his victory led to the government insisting on a run-off election.
African leaders including Nelson Mandela, the former South Africa president,
have called on Mr Mugabe to call off the presidential election. Mr Mandela, who these days rarely steps into the political arena, condemned the "tragic failure of leadership" in Zimbabwe at a dinner in London marking his 90th birthday. Condoleezza Rice, the U S Secretary of State, warned Mr Mugabe against declaring victory tomorrow (Friday). "Clearly, no run-off election that doesn't have the participation of opposition ... can be considered legitimate, no outcome can be considered legitimate," she said in Kyoto, where she is attending a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialised nations.
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- At meetings across the nation, officials of Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party have warned voters how they will know who casts ballots against longtime President Robert Mugabe in Friday's scheduled runoff election: serial numbers. The officials tell people that the ballot number will allow the ruling party to identify who has voted for the opposition so that they can be killed later, according to people who attended meetings in three different neighborhoods around the nation's capital.
Ndaziweye, a 60-year-old domestic worker who asked to be identified by her
first name only, said she was forced by a group of ZANU-PF youths to go to
such a meeting of about 400 people on the outskirts of Harare on her way
back from church Sunday. Opposition and human rights activists have also reported forced "pungwes" or re-education meetings across the nation to intimidate people into voting ZANU-PF through methods such as the serial numbers. The meetings began a few weeks after the March 29 election, but only recently have been used to issue threats about serial numbers on ballot papers.
A ZANU-PF official, who disagreed with the strategy, confirmed that ZANU-PF
war veterans and militia were spreading fear about the serial numbers to
intimidate voters. He said there were about 900 militia bases across the
country, one in every voting ward. The atmosphere at Sunday's meeting was loud and frenzied, almost festive, Ndaziweye said, making it even more worrisome. ZANU-PF youths sang and danced furiously.
"I was shocked because whenever anyone gave a speech, everyone would yell, 'We will kill! We will kill!' The youths were singing horrible songs and
shouting." The short, slight woman with ancient spectacles and frayed shoes said that despite the possible consequences, she will vote against Mugabe, if he defies international pressure and pushes ahead with the runoff vote Friday.
"I am voting for what I want, even if they kill me," she said. "I don't mind, as long as I vote for the person who's going to do something so that people don't starve. I'm voting for my grandchildren so that they can get an education." Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, citing rising political violence by Mugabe supporters, formally withdrew from the election Tuesday, informing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in writing of his decision. International leaders and bodies including the U.N. Security Council have praised the Movement for Democratic Change leader's choice, saying that a free and fair election is impossible at this point given the level of intimidation by the Zimbabwe government.
Nonetheless, Mugabe, who has served as president since 1980, told a rally in
western Zimbabwe the election must go ahead "to fulfill a legal obligation." At Sunday's meeting, Ndaziweye knew that she stuck out like a sore thumb. She was one of the few not wearing a ZANU-PF scarf or T-shirt, she said. "The women and youth were accusing me of being MDC." But the most frightening moment came when the provincial chairman said that each voter would have to write the serial number of their ballot paper on their arm before entering the voting booth. "When you come out, you have to show the number to your party chairman and they will write it down with your name and ID number. So after voting, they will know how you voted. If you are going to vote for Morgan, that will be the end of your life," she said Tuesday.
"They said, 'Even if you run away, we'll chop the heads off whoever you leave behind at your house. We don't care if it's your children or your
grandchildren,' " the mother of four recounted. "Even the ladies, even the Women's League chairwoman, was talking about killing, saying, 'Don't vote for Tsvangirai or the youth will kill you. We have got strong youth and we are not joking. We are serious.' They said, 'This is not America.' "
Tobaiwa, 33, who also asked to be identified by his first name only, has been attending meetings in a suburb south of Harare every day for the last two weeks. He said he was severely beaten by ZANU-PF youth militias for failing to attend one meeting because he was at work. The message about serial numbers on the ballot papers was being repeated daily, he said. He said people at the meetings were warned those who voted for the opposition would face severe retribution. People were given the option of approaching the presiding officer at the polling booth, pretending to be illiterate and telling the official to record a vote for Mugabe, he said.
Tobaiwa voted for Tsvangirai in the first round of the presidential election
on March 29, but plans to stay away Friday. Despite Tsvangirai's withdrawal from the race because of the violence, Ndaziweye thinks it is still important for people to vote. "People must be brave, even though Mugabe has said he is not going to give up. It's better that we show Tsvangirai has won, even if we know he's not going to be president until after Mugabe dies."
Faten Aggad said:Business Day
AS AFRICAN heads of state prepare to meet for the 11th African Union (AU) Summit in the luxurious Red Sea resort of Sharam El Sheik in Egypt on Monday, Zimbabwe continues to spiral downwards. The chairman of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, has said that "the increasing acts of violence in the run-up to the second round of the presidential election are a matter of grave concern". He also indicated that the commission had entered into consultations with the chairman of the AU, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, and leaders of Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, to find a solution to the Zimbabwean crisis.
The question is: what can the AU do?
Two legal opinions, commissioned by the Southern African Litigation Centre, provide a strong legal foundation for a possible AU intervention in Zimbabwe in terms of provisions made under the Declaration on the Framework for an OAU Response to Unconstitutional Changes of Government, signed in Lomé, Togo, in 2000. Based on an analysis of the Zimbabwean constitution and the Electoral Act of 2004, the legal opinions conclude that Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai should legally be recognised as Zimbabwe's head of state. The first legal opinion, which analysed the legality of the postponement of the runoff election, concluded that "the power of the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission to amend or ignore the constitutionally required (21-day) period of the Electoral Law by abrogating or amending the provisions regarding the runoff period is constitutionally objectionable".
The second legal opinion highlights the course to be taken, according to the Electoral Act, in the event of the failure to hold elections within the prescribed 21 days. The opinion notes that "where no second election is held and there were two or more candidates for president, and no candidate received a majority of the total number of valid votes cast, item (3) (1) (b) provides that the candidate with the greatest number of votes (in the first round of elections), and not the majority of the total number of votes, shall be duly elected president". The results of the first round of elections, held on March 29, put Tsvangirai at the head of the race with 47,9% of the votes, against 43,2% for Robert Mugabe. On the basis of the legal opinion, and in compliance with the Zimbabwean Electoral Act, Tsvangirai should have been instated as president. In the light of the two legal opinions, and given the fact that the results of the first round of elections were accepted by African institutions, a case can be made for an AU intervention within the context of the declaration, which Zimbabwe endorsed. The declaration defines unconstitutional changes as , among other things, "the refusal by an
incumbent government to relinquish power to the winning party after free, fair and regular elections".
The course of action to be taken by the AU in the event of unconstitutional changes is clearly described in the declaration. Much the same as in AU action against Togo in 2005, the following actions can be considered: The chairman of the AU (Tanzania's Kikwete) openly condemns the unconstitutional change and clearly indicates to Mugabe that the AU will not tolerate the takeover; n At the request of the chairman, the secretary-general or any member state,
the Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution meets urgently to discuss the situation and issue a statement;
n Following the initial condemnation by the central organ, six months is given to the perpetrator of unconstitutional change to withdraw and hold new elections (although, given national electoral laws, it can be argued that, in the case of Zimbabwe, the winner of the first round of voting should be declared president). During this period, the government concerned is suspended from participating in the policy organs of the AU, including the Council of Ministers and the meeting of heads of states and governments; n In the event of failure to comply within six months, "a range of limited and targeted sanctions against the regime" is imposed. These may include travel bans and trade restrictions. Such action proved effective in forcing Togo's Gnassingbe Eyadema and the army to withdraw from their initial action in May 2005. The precedent in Togo has shown that the AU is able to react, provided there is political will. In this respect, the role of SADC leaders is paramount in supporting an AU intervention. The AU action in Togo could not have been possible
without the support of leaders of the west African regional economic bloc, Ecowas.
Indeed, African instruments do exist. Now is the time to use them in Zimbabwe. But will our leaders, who are meeting in Sharam al Sheik, have the political will? Aggad is a governance researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs.
Louis Weston and Peta Thornycroft in Harare said:Last Updated: 7:51PM BST 27/06/2008
President Robert Mugabe faces humiliation as hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans defied intimidation and refused to vote in his unopposed re-election.
.AFP/GETTY
Robert Mugabe casts his vote in the presidential election run-off Despite threats from Mr Mugabe's thugs to beat those who refused to vote, many polling stations in the capital Harare had not seen a single ballot cast three hours after opening. Others remained virtually empty and many of those who did vote simply spoiled their ballot papers. Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader, announced he was pulling out of the election last weekend in protest at weeks of violence against his supporters. But the regime said the poll would go ahead anyway.
Mr Mugabe's militiamen warned they would launch "Operation Red Finger", targeting anyone whose left little finger is not stained with the ink used to indicate who has voted. But observers estimated that turnout was between a quarter and a third of the level seen in the first round on March 29. One man in Harare's suburb of Belvedere spoiled his ballot in protest against the regime. Holding up his coloured finger, he said: "It's just to be safe. I have got to vote, they have been saying 'We will spill your blood if you don't'." But he marked two crosses on his ballot paper, beside both Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai: "You have to put two crosses, if you leave it blank they will fill it in themselves," he said.
Others did not even bother going to the polling booths. A waiter with a red fingertip admitted: "I did it myself, with a ball-point pen. It's better to be safe." Throughout the day, state television insisted that a huge turnout was taking place, attributing the absence of queues to a hitherto unknown efficiency among election officials. However, ZBC's Freedom Moyo, its reporter in Bulawayo, defied the station's remit by telling the nation: "There are very few people. People have listened to Tsvangirai's call to boycott the election." He was not heard from again. Mr Mugabe yesterday entered a polling booth in Harare to declare, as the only candidate standing, that he was "very optimistic" about the result.
In rural areas, where monitors are few, reports emerged of coerced voting, with some all-night indoctrination sessions taking place outside polling stations. The Zimbabwe Election Support Network said its members had seen gross malpractice, voter intimidation and a low turnout, while military sources admitted that election officers were security personnel in plain clothes.
On Harare's western outskirts, militia from Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party rounded up hundreds of people and forced them to the polling stations.
"They have taken them now and anyway they are vulnerable so they will vote," said an employer in the area. In Mr Mugabe's home province of Mashonaland West, one source said: "All our workers, all the resettled people are going to vote for Mugabe, because if they don't they will be in extreme trouble. Our workers are taken night after night for re-education camps, so we are expecting all of them to vote for him today. Most of them didn't vote for him last time. If there was ever freedom, Mugabe would not get five per cent of the votes even right next to his rural home." And in places Mr Mugabe's propaganda is effective. In St Mary's, south of Harare, an auto-electrician said he had voted for the president because Mr Tsvangirai wanted to hand Zimbabwe back to the whites.
The 84-year-old leader proclaimed himself "healthy" and "optimistic" as he cast his own vote in Harare.
MDC sources said that while they hoped for a low turnout, they expected figures announced in rural areas to be higher than in the first round. One source said the priority was for people to do whatever was necessary "so they are around and alive when the time comes to have a real election". Mr Tsvangirai denounced the process as an "exercise in mass intimidation with people all over the country being forced to vote. There is nothing legitimate about this election process." He urged African leaders to refrain from recognising the outcome of the "sham" poll. "Anyone who recognises the result of this election is denying the will of the Zimbabwean people," said Mr Tsvangirai.
He added there would be "no role" for President Thabo Mbeki in mediating a solution if South Africa recognises Mr Mugabe's expected victory.
It is starting to look like the boycott has proven highly successful, particularly, as expected, in urban areas. The turnout is interesting because the countrys urban areas have been under an onslaught of violence, intimidation and hate speech. The towns have been swamped with people in Zanu PF regalia, and the omnibuses and taxis plastered with Zanu PF posters. So much so that many have been worried that this would force voters into the polling stations.
It's not very often that we see an absence of queues in Zimbabwe and today was one of them. This, we think, is a positive sign for future - a future where we don't have to queue for everything we need. The nationwide trend is a clear message to the dictator, he is not wanted!
In fact, all polling stations driven past, saw the police and polling agents sitting outside sheepishly enjoying the morning sunhine and reading the daily dose of propaganda from the state controlled "Chronic" newspaper.
Interestingly enough the Chronicle is on the streets, but so are yesterdays copies of the Sowetan and the South African Star. So, the governments attempt to deny all fair news coverage has been stymied by the sale of these papers, but only for those who can afford it. But the underground news network is in full swing. The streets around the entire city are carpeted with red and white flyers, apparently distributed in the early hours of the morning. A call came in early this morning from a high density suburb to say, Yesterday the streets were red, today they are white!" An Ndebele version of the boycott flyer is the order of the day.
Mugabe's seizure of power.
Very confidential, but very reliable sources from the highest levels within Mugabe's Joint Operational Command (JOC) reveal the following schedule of events, planned to consolidate Mugabe's seizure of power by the
end of the weekend:
- Those voters - who do not have the indelible ink mark signifying that they have participated today - are at risk of future retribution.
- Within 12 hours, Mugabe will proclaim his victory in the Presidential run-off. No reliable figures are available for his margin of victory, but emphasis is being placed on making it "realistic".
- He will have the power to appoint Governors, as well as a Cabinet. He will move quickly to announce a new Government.
- The Mutambara faction of MDC MPs will be bought off in a version of a Government of National Unity (GNU). One or two senior members of this faction will be offered senior positions in this Government.
- Welshman Ncube has been offered the position of Speaker.
- In the medium- to long-term, MDC MPs will be neutralised by arrest, detention or placatory alternative jobs.
- Mugabe intends to fly to Sharm El-Sheikh on Saturday, in order to attend the African Union summit and act as de facto Head Of State.
- SA President Thabo Mbeki will be first to endorse the GNU, as vindication of his policy of "Quiet Diplomacy" and the ideal end-game that he had always espoused. Mbeki yesterday in Parliament reserved the right to endorse the elections today.
- There will be a subsequent, systematic plan of endorsing the GNU, following Mbeki's initial support.
- Mugabe has verbally promised to step down within 6 months (i.e. December), although this is a well-established pattern-of-behaviour from which he has reneged on repeatedly.
- The only time this strategy has been necessary before was at independence in 1980, after which Mugabe quickly squeezed the Joshua Nkomo ZAPU faction out of existence. This was followed by the Matabeleland
Massacre.
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has urged the African Union to suspend Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe until he allows free and fair elections. His appeal at an African Union summit in Egypt came as Zimbabwe's opposition said the country faced a constitutional crisis after an "illegal" poll.
Mr Mugabe claimed victory as the sole candidate in the presidential re-run after the opposition leader withdrew.
Meanwhile, Italy recalled its envoy to Zimbabwe in protest at the situation.
The move followed a call by Italy's foreign minister last week for European Union nations to begin withdrawing their ambassadors to Harare. In a statement on Monday, the Italian foreign ministry said pulling out all EU ambassadors would signal the "firmness and disapproval that is shared by the international community" at the conduct of the run-off.
African observers said the election had been undermined by pre-poll violence.
'Dangerous precedent' The situation in Zimbabwe overshadowed the African Union summit in Egypt. Speaking to reporters in Nairobi, Mr Odinga said: "They should suspend him and send peace forces to Zimbabwe to ensure free and fair elections." Mr Odinga, a vocal critic of President Mugabe, says the AU would set a dangerous precedent by accepting him as "a duly elected president". The UN has urged African leaders to try to negotiate a solution to the Zimbabwe's crisis. Some analysts have pointed to Kenya as an example of how it could be resolved.
Mr Odinga was named prime minister as part of a power-sharing deal to end political violence in which some 1,500 people were killed, many in ethnic clashes.
No talks
Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says the way forward must reflect the outcome of the first round of voting in March, when Mr Tsvangirai won more votes than Mr Mugabe. The opposition is prepared to take part in a transitional arrangement or a government of national unity, but it says there are no negotiations currently under way between Mr Tsvangirai and the ruling Zanu-PF party. The MDC is asking the AU to appoint three eminent African envoys to work full time on the crisis.
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, says he is pressing for the Security Council to impose sanctions against Zimbabwe.
The US is expected to present a draft resolution on Wednesday calling for an arms embargo and a freeze on the assets of key individuals and companies.
Correspondents say it may be difficult to persuade South Africa, Russia, China and others to accept UN sanctions.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino has suggested the US may impose unilateral diplomatic and economic sanctions. Few African leaders have spoken out about the election result while AU discussions continue. The South African presidency said it would consider reports from election observers together with other members of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) before adopting a unified position regarding the result.
President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, the African Union chairman, pointedly congratulated the people of Zimbabwe over the election, but not Mr Mugabe himself.
Strong words
Africa's longest serving leader, Gabon President Omar Bongo, has given the strongest suggestion of recognising Mr Mugabe as president, saying "he was elected, he took an oath, and he is here with us, so he is president".
US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Jendayi Frazer said she expected African leaders to take a harder line with Mr Mugabe behind closed doors.
"I would suggest not to take the soft words of the opening plenary as a reflection of the deep concern of the leaders here for the situation in Zimbabwe," she said.
"I would expect them to have very, very strong words for him."
The BBC's southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles says that apart from the recent political violence in Zimbabwe, there is continuing economic hardship, with inflation in the region of nine million per cent and the country heading for the worst harvest in 60 years.
Susan Cornwell in Beijing said:
July 01, 2008 02:19am
Reports that Mugabe ordered murders of MPs, Mugabe planned to eliminate MADC agents Military leaders tasked with keeping Mugabe in power SECRET documents have revealed that Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe set in motion recriminations against those who worked against him even before he took the oath of the country's much-criticised re-election, London's Daily Mail newspaper has reported.
Documents outlining the strategy against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change seen by the Daily Mail reveal that, in the run-up to the polls, Mr Mugabe had plotted to "eliminate MDC agents" and ensure that the identity numbers of all voters were taken so they could be found later if they voted for the opposition. The documents are from Mr Mugabe's Joint Operational Command - military leaders tasked with ensuring he remained in power.
They state that forces are to "kill MDC MPs" and that "postal ballot boxes were to be stuffed in remote areas by death squads (who) have been instructed to abduct and kill whoever gets in his way". Mr Mugabe's poll posters have been removed and replaced with signs stating: "This is the final battle for total control." The toll of his victory was laid bare at one Zimbabwe hospital yesterday, in wards choked with victims of appalling brutality by the secret police. Most had shattered limbs after being beaten with iron bars.
Burning plastic had been dripped on others. Some had iron hooks pushed through their faces and arms.
Gerald Harper said:
July 1, 2008 ⋅
Botswana has become the first African country to publicly declare that it
will not recognize Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe and called for the
African Union on Tuesday to exclude Zimbabwe from its meetings because a
disputed election did not give the government legitimacy.
In our considered view, it therefore follows that the representatives of
the current government in Zimbabwe should be excluded from attending SADC
and African Union meetings, Vice President Mompati Merafhe said. It has emerged that during the closed door session on Tuesday evening, the
Vice President of Botswana Mompati Merafhe said for all the reasons outlined
in the reports of the observer missions of SADC, the AU and the Pan African
Parliament, his country does not confer legitimacy on the government of
President Mugabe.
Merafhe proceeded to call for the exclusion of the representatives of the
current Zimbabwean government from all future SADC and African meetings,
saying their participation would give unqualified legitimacy to a process
which cannot be considered legitimate.
Botswana also added its voice on Thabo Mbekis mediation efforts,The
personalities for the mediation process should be acceptable to both parties. It is also Botswanas strong view that the mediation process must treat both parties as equals, Merafhe said.
Senegalese President Abdulaye Wade spoke for more than an hour, saying that the second round was void and that he had tried to convince Robert Mugabe not to go through with the poll.
The Nigerian,Swaziland,Senegal,Tanzania and Kenya delegation echoed Botswanas view, saying they too would refuse to recognize 84-year-old Mugabe as Zimbabwes sixth president.
Italy on Monday became the first Europen country to cut diplomatic ties with
Zimbabwe,recalling its Ambassador Mario Bologna.Other 15 Europen countries
are expected to follow suit. Canada last week unveiled sanctions against the Zimbabwe government,and hinted it might also severe its diplomatic ties.
Reuters said:
Tue Jul 1, 2008 8:16pm BST
PARIS (Reuters) - The European Union will only accept a Zimbabwean
government headed by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country has taken over the EU presidency,
said on Tuesday.
Kouchner's comments were broadcast after the African Union called in a
summit for a national unity government in Zimbabwe following the
widely-condemned re-election of President Robert Mugabe in a poll scarred by
violence. "The European Union will accept no government other than a government led by Mr Tsvangirai," Kouchner told France 2 television.
"We are the French presidency. With the (European) Commission, we are
clear -- the government is illegitimate if it is not led by the head of the
opposition, Mr Tsvangirai," Kouchner said, adding that the second-round
ballot, which Tsvangirai pulled out of, was a "farce".
Kouchner called on the African Union to recognise Tsvangirai as the
country's legitimate leader. "The African Union should not accept anything other than the leadership of this representative of Zimbabwe's people," he said.
BADO TU NA WESTERN PROPAGANDA.....!
MUGABE WILL SOON BE THE PRESIDENT OF ZIMBABWE......! THE HATRED TOWARD HIM COME FROM SUPPORTERS OF WESTERN UNETHICAL BEHAVIOURS.....! (ushoga)