Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Mozambique’s Guebuza endorses elections
07/08/2013 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

MOZAMBIQUE President Armando Guebuza has congratulated President Robert Mugabe on his election victory, joining other regional countries in endorsing the vote which has been rejected as fraudulant by the opposition.

Mugabe scored a landslide victory, claiming 61 percent of the presidential vote to beat bitter rival Morgan Tsvangirai who got 34 percent. Mugabe’s Zanu PF also won a super majority in Parliament which allows it to change the country’s constitution.

Tsvangirai has rejected the results and vowed to challenge the vote in the country’s courts.

In his message to Mugabe, Mozambican leader Armando Guebuza, who also chairs the regional SADC grouping, said: “We would like to congratulate you, Mr President, on your re-election as President of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

“Your victory and that of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu PF), in a landslide manner, at the 31st July 2013 harmonised and SADC rules-based elections, create the conditions for striking your great country out of the SADC agenda, as a stand-alone political item.

Guebuza said Zimbabwe should be commended for holding orderly and peaceful elections and urged the country’s leaders to continue to work together.

“We, in SADC, are also very proud and pleased that the political leaders of your beautiful country came together to provide the region and the world with this landmark event,” he said.

“Now you can all show the region and the world that you can continue working closely together to deliver greater prosperity to Zimbabwe and play your increasingly important role in SADC and in other international fora.

“While wishing you good health and success in the discharge of your noble duties, Mozambique and Sadc will remain Zimbabwe’s partners in facing the new, many and complex challenges ahead.”

Western countries – led by the US, the UK and Australia have expressed grave concerns over the elections but Zimbabwe’s neighbours have endorsed the vote with the exception of Botswana which demanded an audit of the vote.

Zanu PF has dismissed Botswana’s demand as “thoroughly stupid”.

Labels: 2013 ELECTIONS (ZW), ARMANDO GUEBUZA, MOZAMBIQUE, ROBERT MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 5:48 PM