Levy is uninformed on Zim, says Mugabe's spokesperson

Levy is uninformed on Zim, says Mugabe's spokesperson
By George Chellah in Harare and Mutuna Chanda in Lusaka
Tuesday June 24, 2008 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa (l) is uninformed on the situation in Zimbabwe, President Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba has said. And Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson justice George Chiweshe said the commission would proceed with the presidential runoff this Friday. In an interview with The Post, Charamba said President Mwanawasa in his capacity as SADC chairman should have contacted President Mugabe for a briefing on the situation in Zimbabwe.

He was responding to calls by President Mwanawasa for Zimbabwe to postpone its run off election to a later date because the current conditions would not guarantee a free and fair election.

"By his statement, it is clear that the SADC chairman is uninformed. He should have been courteous by getting in touch with his brother President Mugabe, that's the only way he could be better informed...those are the basics of diplomatic protocol," he said.

Charamba said elections did not become free and fair just because one contestant decided to throw in the towel. He said Zimbabwe had done enough to domesticate into law the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.

"On SADC principles, how many SADC countries have abided by those guidelines, including the SADC chairman himself? People must be humble," Charamba said, in response to the SADC chairperson's position that Zimbabwe had abrogated SADC principles guiding elections. "Those are just guidelines, they are not the law. In fact, as Zimbabwe we even went further than that to domesticate them into law."

On MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai's decision to pull out of this Friday's presidential election runoff, Charamba said the electoral Act was clear on withdrawal of candidates.

"A candidate must write and communicate formally with the authorities to ensure that the process is adjusted to reflect a new position. The election will go ahead with or without Tsvangirai," Charamba said. "If he (Tsvangirai) doesn't communicate formally he will be there on the ballot paper and his supporters will be expected to vote for him on Friday."

He said Tsvangirai had always been a reluctant player in the election process.

"That's why the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee had to call him back from South African to come for the runoff. We knew Tsvangirai was not keen for a runoff," Charamba said. "When Tsvangirai was away in South Africa, he was trying to accost ZANU-PF to settle for a government of national unity and dump the runoff with President Mugabe at the helm. We were aware throughout the runoff campaign MDC has been doing little campaigning. It was clear they were not for the runoff."
Charamba alleged that the MDC was in fact contemplating armed banditry at the instigation of the US and British governments.

And justice Chiweshe yesterday told The Post that ZEC would proceed with the presidential runoff this Friday.

"As far as we are concerned he Tsvangirai hasn't told us anything officially. So it's like nothing really. We are prepared and we are proceeding with the election on Friday. So the game is still on this Friday," justice Chiweshe said. "If he has notified the press, that's not good enough. You know, these are politicians, don't be surprised if he calls another press conference to say no! no! no! I didn't mean what these guys wrote so I am contesting."

United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has strongly supported President Mwanawasa's position that conditions for a runoff in Zimbabwe do not exist at present and that the election be postponed.

In a press release, Ban stated that the UN was prepared to work urgently with SADC and the African Union (AU) to help resolve the political impasse in Zimbabwe. Ban stated that he had held discussions with various leaders including those of the AU and SADC.

He stated that his envoy, assistant secretary general Haile Menkerios remained in southern Africa to assist.

"Despite the repeated appeals of the international community, the government of Zimbabwe has failed to put in place conditions necessary for free and fair runoff elections," stated Ban. "The circumstances that led to the withdrawal of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai today Sunday from the presidential elections represent a deeply distressing development that does not bode well for the future of democracy in Zimbabwe. The campaign of violence and intimidation that has marred this election has done a great disservice to the people of the country and must end immediately."
Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) executive director Goodwell Lungu called on other SADC heads of state to support President Mwanawasa's position.

"If other SADC heads of state decide not to back Dr Mwanawasa, the effects from Zimbabwe will undoubtedly affect the entire region, which is already happening," stated Lungu. "We call on all key stakeholders, who include the African Union, The United Nations, human rights organisations and civil society to be firm and urgently help in resolving the Zimbabwean political crisis before it degenerates."

Lungu further expressed concern over what he termed as President Thabo Mbeki's soft approach to the Zimbabwe crisis.

On Sunday, President Mwanawasa, as SADC chairman, called for the postponement of the runoff to avert a looming political catastrophe in the region. President Mwanawasa, who said he only consulted four SADC leaders out of the 14 in the regional bloc, explained that he attempted twice to get a briefing from President Mbeki on what he had discussed with President Mugabe but did not succeed.

"I have no knowledge on what President Mugabe and President Mbeki discussed. I rang him yesterday morning and I was told that he was busy with his private secretary and that he would ring me back. I waited and he didn't ring me back and in the afternoon I rang him again and I was told that he was still in a meeting with his private secretary," said President Mwanawasa.