Zim post-election tension worries KK

Zim post-election tension worries KK
By Roberta Muchangwe, Agness Changala, Kingsley Kaswende, Brigh
Friday April 11, 2008 [04:00]

FIRST Republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda has expressed worry over the continued post-election tension in Zimbabwe. And President Robert Mugabe may attend tomorrow's extra-ordinary SADC summit in person and is ready to tell the region about political developments in Zimbabwe, government spokesperson Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said yesterday.

Meanwhile, former Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) chairperson justice Ireen Mambilima has urged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to announce the presidential poll results instead of creating anxiety among Zimbabweans.

Commenting on the political situation in Zimbabwe after its harmonised presidential and general elections, Dr Kaunda called for a peaceful and lasting solution to Zimbabwe's current political and economic problems.

"As an old freedom fighter and a citizen of the neighbouring countries of Zimbabwe, I have followed with keen interest the developments in that country. And I would like you to know. And I would like you to know that for us, Zimbabwe is very close to our hearts and we wish the best for that country," Dr Kaunda said.

He said contrary to pronouncements from the West, he had every confidence that Zimbabweans had the capacity and determination to find a peaceful and lasting solution to their current situation.

"And I know that they will do everything in their power to ensure that the interests of their country come above everything else," Dr Kaunda said.
He appealed to the international community to persuade and encourage Zimbabweans to resolve their differences in a peaceful manner. Dr Kaunda said Zimbabwe needed peace in order to attain its sustainable economic and social development.

He commended President Levy Mwanawasa, who is also Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) chairperson, for convening an extra-ordinary Heads of States summit to discus and find solutions to the high tension in Zimbabwe following its presidential election.

President Mwanawasa called for calm and patience among Zimbabweans as they await results of the presidential election. SADC heads of state are scheduled to meet in Lusaka tomorrow to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.

The summit follows numerous calls for regional and international intervention in Zimbabwe over the presidential poll results, which are yet to be announced 11 days after the elections in which the ruling ZANU-PF is believed to have lost.

And justice Mambilima, who is also Deputy Chief Justice, said it was important for ZEC to announce the presidential poll results if they were ready as opposed to keeping people in suspense.

"People have a right to know and I think results should be announced to avoid developing anxiety among the Zimbabwean people," she said.
Justice Mambilima commended Zimbabweans for their patience as they waited for the announcement of results.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said yesterday that President Mugabe may attend the SADC summit in person and is ready to tell the region about political developments in Zimbabwe.

Ndlovu, who said he was not sure whether or not President Mugabe had received an invitation from Zambia by noon yesterday, said President Mugabe would respond to his Zambian counterpart after receiving the invitation.

"The President is ready to tell his position but he responds to invitations. I don't have information whether he has received the invitation but if he receives it, he may attend. But he will only respond to President Mwanawasa.

I don't announce presidential movements. He will respond on a president-to-president basis," Ndlovu said.

Ndlovu said he was not absolutely sure that President Mugabe would attend in person or whether he would send envoys.

Earlier, Ndlovu said the Zimbabwean government had not asked for assistance from the international community to discuss the post-election impasse in that country. Ndlovu said the normal procedure was that a summit to discuss a member-state should be held at the request of that country.

But he said his government was prepared to appraise SADC about Zimbabwe's political developments, given that SADC chairman President Levy Mwanawasa had called for a summit.

"As far as we are concerned, we have not asked for assistance. We are waiting for ZEC to do its work, verifying the results because it should announce the correct results, so we don't see any problem," Ndlovu said.

Justice, legal and parliamentary affairs minister Patrick Chinamasa also said the impasse in Zimbabwe did not warrant international intervention.

"There is nothing that has happened before, during and after elections to distabilise international peace and security," Chinamasa told journalists. "There is no justification to internationalise the situation here."

And opposition MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa, whose party had been appalled by the "deafening silence" of the region over the impasse in Zimbabwe, welcomed SADC's move saying he hoped the summit would ask President Mugabe to step down.

"We also hope the outcome of the summit is going to be a strong message to Mugabe and also action that would help to resolve the impasse in the country.
In fact, we hope the summit will ask Mugabe to step down because he has lost the election," said Chamisa.

Twelve days after the election, the results of the presidential poll are yet to be announced.
ZANU-PF claims that figures in its possession point to a run-off in the presidential poll, as none of the four candidates got more than 50 per cent votes to warrant a straight win. But the MDC says figures in its possession show that its leader Morgan Tsvangirai recorded more than 50 per cent votes, giving him a straight win.

Tsvangirai has already rejected a runoff and has asked President Mugabe to concede defeat and step down.

However, President Mugabe's party, ZANU-PF, raised complaints of vote-counting errors and requested ZEC to recount both presidential and parliamentary votes in as many as 21 constituencies.

Chinamasa said so far, ZEC had indicated a recount in five constituencies but had rejected a recount in seven because the petitions were submitted outside the statutory 48 hours.

ZANU-PF claims that its president had been robbed of 8,600 votes in as many as four constituencies in Mberengwa district.

MDC has been accusing ZANU-PF of forcing ZEC to hold the results in order to buy time, "cook up" figures and prepare itself for a runoff.

The Harare High Court has been a scene of "battles" between MDC and ZEC where the opposition party filed an application to compel the electoral body to immediately release the results because they are ready.

MDC sees no need for ZEC to recount the votes before the announcement is made, arguing that the results should be announced before anyone aggrieved files a complaint with ZEC or the courts.

High Court judge Tendai Uchena, who has been hearing the case since Saturday, said on Wednesday afternoon that he would rule next Monday whether or not ZEC should immediately release the presidential results.

"Conscious of the urgency of the matter, I should be ready for a judgment on Monday afternoon. Judgment is therefore reserved until Monday at 14:30. I have heard the parties since Saturday and I need to go over the statute that has been referred to

I also need to digest the submission by both counsel," the judge told journalists after the court session.

Meanwhile, President Mugabe has extended the term of his Cabinet until a new one is sworn in after a possible runoff in the presidential election.

Both information minister Ndlovu and justice minister Patrick Chinamasa confirmed on Wednesday evening that President Mugabe's term was "intact" and that his Cabinet was still operational.

Parliament was officially dissolved with effect from midnight on March 28 in terms of the proclamation published in Statutory Instrument 7A of 2008, while Cabinet was dissolved at the end of its session on March 27.

MDC secretary general Tendai Biti yesterday argued that President Mugabe's term as well as that of his Cabinet had expired on March 28.

Biti said pursuant to Zimbabwean law, President Mugabe was only a caretaker president without any mandate.

"His previous six-year term ended on March 8, 2008 but was extended by law and synchronised with the end of the parliamentary term. He dissolved Parliament and Cabinet a day before the election, on March 28, effectively ending his term. As at now he is just a caretaker president," he said.

Ndlovu also said the current Cabinet was still in office in line with provisions of the Constitution on dissolution of Parliament and Cabinet.

"I want to reaffirm the position that all Cabinet ministers are still in office until such a time that a new Cabinet is appointed to conduct government business," Ndlovu stated. "This is a constitutional requirement for the smooth running of government, implementation of its policies and accountability."

And Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) executive director Bishop Paul Mususu said the recently held elections in Zimbabwe were not free and fair.

Bishop Mususu, who led a faith-based observer team from Zambia to monitor the election process in Zimbabwe, cited a number of anomalies, which he said could have affected the final outcome of the polls.

The Zambian monitoring team, which comprised the EFZ and the Christian Council of Zambia (CCZ), was in Zimbabwe at the invitation of the Zimbabwe-based Christian Coalition.

Bishop Mususu said many registered voters were disenfranchised by the electoral process.

"More predominant was a situation where someone registered at a polling station, but only found their names at another far away polling station," he said.

"The freeness of the elections is difficult to say in light of some anomalies which we encountered. Yes, the elections were peaceful and very orderly, but I cannot say they were free and fair."

Bishop Mususu also expressed concern at the delay in announcing the presidential results, saying it was adding to tension in Zimbabwe.

Bishop Mususu said the situation in Zimbabwe was very volatile and that keeping people in suspense for a long time could worsen the situation.

"We need to remember what happened in Rwanda and, more recently, in Kenya where SADC and AU waited until the situation got out of hand. They only intervened when it was already too late," he said. "We need to avoid a catastrophe and preserve lives."

And the Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) and the Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) have said the delay in announcing the presidential results by ZEC raised fundamental questions about the transparency of the electoral process.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, SACCORD and FODEP stated it was the right of Zimbabweans to know the outcome of their elections.