Maravi

(HERALD) ‘Police keen to interview Biti’

‘Police keen to interview Biti’
Herald Reporter

POLICE are keen to interview MDC-T secretary general Mr Tendai Biti for illegally declaring results of the March 29 2008 harmonised elections in contravention of the Electoral Act, which gives the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission the exclusive right to announce results. Mr Biti announced that his party had won the elections in violation of the law.

Yesterday, police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri wrote to Mr Biti that police were not amused by the manner in which the opposition official was "urging and abetting political violence" through his political rhetoric.

"What is very conspicuous in the Zimbabwean political arena today is your prominent role in urging and abetting political violence through unbridled rhetoric of incitement.

"You know for sure, your violation of the country’s laws by declaring presidential results which was, in deed, in contravention of Section 110 of the Electoral Act, Chapter 2:13 and is still to be attended to by the police.

"Maybe, this you may cite as having been a deliberate delay in bringing the culprit to book, but as all know, the swift arm of the law will always catch up with the evildoer," wrote Cde Chihuri.

He added, "Surely, the police have been looking for you so that you could assist in investigations surrounding the above-mentioned issue, concerning the electoral laws and other matters, but you were nowhere to be found.

"The only time one sees you is on the international media, making all sorts of unsubstantiated allegations against everybody else and the country, gallivanting all over the world. This might be the reason why you are out of touch with the real issues affecting the people on the ground."

Mr Biti had earlier written to Cde Chihuri on April 24 2008 saying the uniformed services were failing to perform their constitutional duty to protect the citizenry and were carrying out selective arrests and prosecutions of opposition supporters.

Interestingly, the letter was only sent to police on April 29th after it had been widely made available to the media, which Cde Chihuri said was meant to set a hate agenda against the police force.

"Unfortunately, Honourable Biti, your intention to set a malicious political agenda against the Zimbabwe Republic Police by unnecessarily dragging it into your political skirmishes cannot be hidden anymore.

"No threats of any kind, manner and fashion shall deter me as the Commissioner-General of Police and leader of the Zimbabwe Republic Police to strongly act against any orgy of violence from any quarter in this country.

"I nevertheless urge you to take a leading role in condemning public violence, stop harbouring criminals at your party headquarters and

publicly disband the so-called Democratic Resistance Committees, which have become a real menace to our peace loving citizens, since March 11, 2007.

"Let me hasten to say that I seriously view your allegations as an unacceptable political gimmick, in which I should as a matter of principle, register my uttermost disaffection and dismay, more so as it comes from a person of your standing, who has been a member of the legislature for a considerable number of years.

"I wonder why you should play political games with issues of this nature, issues that concern the security of this country and its citizens," said Cde Chihuri. Comm-Gen Chihuri also said the police would continue to carry out their constitutional mandate of preserving internal security and maintaining law and order.

"However, culprits of various criminal activities including those involved in the recent

failed MDC initiated stay-away were arrested and taken to courts for prosecution throughout the country.

"Should you be so willing to find more facts surrounding the disposal of these cases, I do hereby advise you to visit the courts and check with their records, which are public records in any case," he noted.

Hundreds of people from across the political divide have been arrested for engaging in acts of political violence, many of them related to the failed stay-away.

Labels: MDC, TENDAI BITI

posted by MrK @ 9:03 PM