Maravi

Zimbabwe won't tolerate interference, warns Mugabe

Zimbabwe won't tolerate interference, warns Mugabe
By George Chellah in Harare
Thursday June 26, 2008 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has said Zimbabwe will not tolerate interference from any quarter. But US Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee stated that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has a much greater influence over Zimbabwe than the United Nations. Addressing a rally in Banket on Tuesday, President Mugabe said the country was ready to repel and resist any threat or hint of interference.

"If you harbour any ulterior motives, then keep your judgment to yourself. The verdict is ours as the people of Zimbabwe," President Mugabe said. "They can shout as loud as they want from Washington and London, but our people will deliver the final verdict.

We have countries where thousands of people have died during an election yet the elections have gone on. There have been fights, yes, arson here and there but people have not been interested in cases by MDC but in little blows delivered by ZANU-PF."

President Mugabe expressed surprise that certain African countries did not appreciate the difficulties Zimbabwe had been subjected to as a result of sanctions.

"Not a single African country has been bold enough to say that the illegal sanctions imposed by the West should be lifted or tell them not to interfere in our internal affairs," President Mugabe said.

He also said the presidential runoff would go ahead as scheduled.

President Mugabe said MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai could not pull out of the race now. He said his government was open to discussion although it had its own principles.

President Mugabe said if the opposition MDC had problems, they could bring them forward. He said the regional bloc - SADC - was there simply as a forum for the parties to operate in.

"Those who seek to impose themselves on us and make idiotic noises would not bother us. They are making noise for nothing. We will go on with the election. The verdict is our verdict. Other people can say what they want. These are our elections. We are a sovereign state," President Mugabe said.

But in a statement issued by the US Embassy in Harare, ambassador McGee called on Zimbabwe's neighbours in the SADC to issue a clear statement that is "as firm and as hard hitting" as the UN document.

He stated that African regional organisations such as the SADC had a much greater influence over Zimbabwe than international bodies like the UN.

Ambassador McGee stated that Zimbabwe was landlocked and pressure tactics such as border closings and isolation from its neighbours would have a tremendous and immediate impact.

"The SADC, including South Africa, should take the lead and condemn this government, number one for the violence and number two for the lack of political space that would have allowed Mr Tsvangirai to conduct an election campaign," ambassador McGee stated.

He alleged that ZANU-PF continued in full campaign mode despite Tsvangirai's decision to withdraw.

"We've received reports that ZANU-PF will force people to vote on Friday and also take action against those who refuse to vote. So, they're saying 'we want an election at all costs. We want to validate Mr Mugabe's victory here'," ambassador McGee stated. "There's really nothing that we can do here in the international community to stop these elections."

Ambassador McGee urged the international election monitors to remain in the country and report what they can on the Friday election.

"Many of them have already been out in the countryside and many of them have already started to report on the intimidation and violence that they have witnessed out there," stated ambassador McGee. "So we're hoping that these people will stay in the country and at least provide ... eyes on the ground for the people of Zimbabwe."

Labels: COLOUR REVOLUTIONS, JAMES MCGEE, MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 4:41 AM