Maravi

(HERALD) Zimbabweans endorse election

Zimbabweans endorse election

THE run-off has come and gone and as we all saw yesterday, Zimbabweans turned out in their thousands to choose a President and legislators of their choice, and over the coming days we will know who they would have honoured with a mandate. Initial reports from polling stations countrywide indicate that this would be the biggest turnout Zimbabwe has ever had, which is a slap in the face for detractors who claimed this was a ‘‘Mugabe election’’ that did not have the blessing of the generality of Zimbabweans.

As it is, Zimbabweans have spoken, they endorsed the election and that is all that matters. Outsiders should respect their will.

What is more, the fact that no foreigner or alien was allowed into the voting booths was evidence enough that it is only Zimbabweans who have a say on who should lead them, the same way they respect the right of citizens of other countries to choose governments of their choice.

It was indeed symbolic that as we voted to reject British puppet politics here, Britons were similarly voting to reject New Labour’s reactionary politics in a by-election in Henley where Gordon Brown suffered, arguably, his most humiliating defeat coincidentally on the first anniversary of his premiership.

Brown’s party came a distant fifth behind the Tories and several smaller parties including the far-right British Nationalist Party.

What is more? The Labour candidate managed only 1 066 votes, way below the five percent threshold of the total number of votes required for him to retain his 500-pound deposit.

This is the third time Labour has polled poorly under Brown, who assumed the premiership without a mandate from British voters yet he has the audacity to badmouth President Mugabe who has always received a mandate from Zimbabweans since 1980, the same way he is likely to get one in the just-ended run-off.

Those in glass houses, as they say, should not throw stones, we hope Brown will be guided accordingly.

At the same time we urge our colleagues in the opposition to embrace President Mugabe’s call to build bridges. They must ask themselves for how long they are willing to be taken for granted by Morgan Tsvangirai and his handlers.

The fact that Tsvangirai ‘‘boycotted’’ the run-off, even as he contested the three by-elections in Gwanda South, Pelandaba-Mpopoma and Redcliff should tell them that he is not a man of principle. National leadership requires much more than emotions, our nation clearly deserves better.

Labels: ELECTIONS, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 6:52 PM