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PAN-African Parliament calls for fresh poll in Zim

PAN-African Parliament calls for fresh poll in Zim
By George Chellah in Harare, Zimbabwe
Monday June 30, 2008 [04:00]

PAN-African Parlia-ment (PAP) election observation mission team leader Marwick Khumalo yesterday called for a fresh and credible election in Zimbabwe, saying the presidential runoff was not free and fair. And Khumalo urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union leaders to engage the Zimbabwean leadership into a negotiated transitional settlement. Addressing journalists on behalf of the PAP observation mission, Khumalo noted that the Friday election was not free and fair.

"The mission concludes that the current atmosphere prevailing in the country did not give rise to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections. Conditions should be put in place for the holding of free, fair and credible elections as soon as possible in line with the African Union Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections," Khumalo said. "In the interim, the PAP mission calls on the SADC leaders, working together with the African Union, to engage the broader political leadership in Zimbabwe into a negotiated settlement."

He said politicisation of the security forces led to lack of impartiality and loss of confidence in the voting process.

"Overall, the mission noted that the leadership of the security forces have not changed their position of overt support to the ruling party despite calls, following the March harmonised elections. The discriminatory treatment in granting permission for the holding of campaign rallies, reluctant to arrest alleged ZANU-PF aligned individuals perpetrating violence, is cause for concern," he said.

Khumalo said the mission was dismayed by uniformed police officers on duty wearing the ruling party regalia.

"The independence and impartiality of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is rendered questionable. The role of ZEC in this particular election has been more wanting than the previous election. Its deafening silence was alarming and created a perception of a sequestration body," he said.

Khumalo said the voter turnout was relatively low.
"It is unclear if some voters heeded the call to boycott elections or it was mere voter apathy. It is surprising though that the MDC presidential candidate who withdrew from the runoff, was still voted for by a significant number of voters," Khumalo said. "In many polling stations visited by our mission, it noted that certain male-dominated groups intercepted voters and gave them pieces of paper on which they were required to write the serial number of their ballots.

"An unusually high percentage of spoilt ballots were recorded in the polling stations where our mission observed the counting process. Unpalatable messages were written on many of those spoilt ballots."

Khumalo said political intolerance in Zimbabwe had deteriorated to the lowest ebb in history.

"Compared to the harmonised elections held in March 29, the level of tolerance between ZANU-PF and MDC supporters leading up to the 27 June presidential runoff election had deteriorated to unprecedented levels. On account of an electoral process, neighbours have turned enemies, Zimbabweans against Zimbabweans," he said.
Khumalo said several roadblocks were mounted.

"Numerous road blocks by militia type groups allegedly identified with the ruling party, seriously curtailed free movement of ordinary Zimbabweans and commuters. Some of the mission teams experienced these road blocks first hand," said Khumalo.

President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday went into a solo presidential runoff election despite SADC, African Union and the United Nations calling for its postponement because of the widespread violence.

Labels: ELECTIONS, PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 3:47 AM