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(DAILY MAIL) Levy urged to pressurise Mugabe

Levy urged to pressurise Mugabe
By REBECCA CHILESHE

UNITED States assistant secretary of State for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, has urged President Mwanawasa to continue pressurising his Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe to release the Presidential results of the March 29, 2008 general elections. Dr Frazer also said Dr Mwanawasa, as Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) chairperson, should ensure the Zimbabwean administration ended the post election violence.

She said SADC leaders should use their influence to reinforce democratic values and principles within the region. Dr Frazer said this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.

During her brief visit Dr Frazer held talks with Dr Mwanawasa on Saturday and former President Kenneth Kaunda yesterday on the post election impasse in Zimbabwe.

Dr Frazer commended President Mwanawasa for calling for the immediate release of election results in Zimbabwe.

She said the situation in Zimbabwe was worrying and that the impasse needed to be resolved in an amicable manner.

“The situation in Zimbabwe is worrying .I came to meet President Mwanawasa to get an insight of what is happening there. SADC must state clearly its position and put pressure on Robert Mugabe so that this crisis can end,” she said.

Dr Frazer said America would not remain neutral and watch the prevailing situation in Zimbabwe where “people were being beaten” get worse.

She said it was important for Zimbabweans, including Government leaders to respect the law of the land.
She said there was documented evidence, which allegedly showed that one person had died during post-election violence and that about 450 people had been beaten by government forces,

“It is widely known that Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), won the majority votes. It is clear from the results that were being posted outside polling stations after counting of votes,” Dr Frazer said.

She said there was no level playing field in Zimbabwe before the elections, saying MDC leaders and supporters were constantly intimidated and that conditions were not favourable for a free and fair election.
Dr Frazer said if Zimbabwe was to settle for a coalition government, it should be led by the MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

She said it was important to create an enabling environment to allow Mr Tsvangirai to return home from self-imposed exile.

“It is widely known that Morgan Tsvangirai won the
majority of votes. The condition should be created
within Zimbabwe so that the MDC leader can get back to
Zimbabwe,” Dr Frazer said.

She said she had spoken to Mr Tsvangirai who had assured her that MDC would remain calm and would not retaliate any attacks from government forces.

Dr Frazer said she had also met Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos whom she said had also expressed concern over the crisis in Zimbabwe.

She met Dr Kaunda at American ambassador to Zambia, Carmen Martinez’s residence at about 11:20 hours yesterday where the two held talks for more than an hour.

Earlier, Dr Frazer told journalists that she would meet Dr Kaunda so that he could provide counsel on the way forward in Zimbabwe.

She commended Dr Mwanawasa on the economic development the country had made and for championing the fight against corruption.

Dr Frazer left the country soon after her meeting with Dr Kaunda.

Labels: JENDAYI FRASER, MWANAWASA, SADC

posted by MrK @ 11:51 PM