SADC delegation in Zim to follow up elections
SADC delegation in Zim to follow up electionsBy Kingsley Kaswende in Harare
Thursday May 08, 2008 [04:00]
A delegation of the SADC Troika has arrived in Harare to follow up the election situation and to hold various talks with the local authorities, as the country awaits the date for the run-off.
The SADC Troika arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday after holding a meeting over the weekend in Luanda, Angola, where it announced the assessment of the needs so that the sub-regional body could take some decision aimed at helping the electoral process, following the release of the results which prompted a second round of the polls.
According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) results, whose announcement was delayed by over a month, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was the front-runner with 47.9 per cent of the votes cast while incumbent President Robert Mugabe registered 43.2 per cent. Independent candidate Simba Makoni got 8.6 per cent while another independent candidate, Langtone Towungana, managed 0.6 per cent.
By law, Tsvangirai and President Mugabe will have to square off in the run-off, as they fell short of the 50 per cent plus one requirement that could have avoided a run-off.
Tsvangirai, however, disputes the results.
In an attempt to break the impasse, the SADC delegation will meet with President Mugabe, Tsvangirai and members of the election commission, according to a statement released by the Angolan embassy in Harare.
The team comprises the ministers of foreign affairs of Angola Joao Miranda, Swaziland Mathendele Dlamini, Tanzania's deputy minister of defence and national services Emmanuel Nchimbi, and the executive secretary of the organisation, Tomaz Salomão.
According to the statement, after Zimbabwe, the members of Troika would travel to Lusaka to present to the SADC chairperson, President Levy Mwanawasa, the results of the meeting held in Luanda.
posted by MrK @ 12:34 PM
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