Maravi

(DAILY MAIL) ‘Zim summit needed no consent’

‘Zim summit needed no consent’
By ANGELA CHISHIMBA

PRESIDENT Mwanawasa did not need permission from Zimbabwe to call for an extraordinary Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) summit to discuss the deepening political crisis there, Chief Government spokesperson Mike Mulongoti has said. Mr Mulongoti, the minister of Information and Broadcasting Services was responding to the Zimbabwean delegation leader at the summit, housing minister Emmerson Mnangagwa who told the state Herald newspaper and the Pan-African News Agency that President Mwanawasa erred to call the extra-ordinary summit “without consulting SADC members as required by SADC protocol.”

Mr Mnangagwa said the lack of prior consultation took member states by surprise. But in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mulongoti asked the Zimbabwean officials not to find fault in the summit because it was called in good faith to deal with a crisis that exists.

“It will be irresponsible for anyone to say that there are no difficulties in Zimbabwe. Zambia has already been affected by the influx of Zimbabwean refugees who are crossing over,” he said.

He said the summit was called to resolve issues affecting the people of Zimbabwe. He said the concern of SADC was not about the question of leadership in Zimbabwe but its people. He said it was important that all parties to the current problems in Zimbabwe were given a chance to be heard.

“It is not like the summit wanted the Zimbabwean government to be given more chance than the opposition… after all, they were all competitors in the elections,” he said.

He called on Africans to recognise that in any competition there was need to respect the rules of engagement.

“When competitors complain, the other party should not be selfish, because this is what is causing problems on the continent,” he said.

The minister said the meeting called by President Mwanawasa was a success because all the parties to the problem were given an opportunity to be heard.
“We are happy that Zambia had provided leadership in this matter,” he said.

SADC leaders held a summit in Lusaka to discuss the electoral crisis created by the failure by authorities to release presidential results of the March 29 polls.

Election officials in Zimbabwe have said they are still counting and verifying ballots. They have also ordered a recount in 23 constituencies.

On Monday, the High Court threw out an opposition petition to force the elections body to release the results.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change says it won the elections outright and now fears the Zimbabwe Elections Commission will manipulate the results.

Labels: SADC

posted by MrK @ 6:54 PM