Maravi

Zim police keen to interview Biti over poll results

Zim police keen to interview Biti over poll results
By George Chellah in Harare, Zimbabwe
Saturday May 03, 2008 [04:00]

ZIMBABWE'S Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri has announced that the police is keen to interview MDC secretary general Tendai Biti for illegally declaring results of the March 29 elections. According to a letter by Chihuri addressed to Biti and quoted extensively by state-controlled Herald newspapers, the police were not amused by the manner in which Biti was urging and abetting political violence through what he described as 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, indeed, 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," read Chihuri's letter in part.

"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."

But MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa dismissed Chihuri's statement accusing him of ignoring the greater picture of the matter.

"The issue is not about Biti but the issues affecting Zimbabweans. Patrick Chinamasa chairperson of the ZANU-PF media sub-committee announced the runoff, where did he get the results? And what will police do about that?

There is nothing sinister about what Biti did because the results were already announced at polling stations," said Chamisa.

"So instead of Chihuri pre-occupying himself with pursuing individuals, they should maintain law and order, especially in the countryside where there is violence and not parochial personal vindictiveness."

Labels: ELECTIONS, MDC, TENDAI BITI

posted by MrK @ 3:12 AM