SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
Botswana has broken ranks with the regional SADC leadership bloc’s endorsement of Zimbabwe’s elections, saying it has doubts about the credibility of the poll. African observer missions have so far welcomed and endorsed last week’s elections, regardless of the concerns of serious voter fraud and other irregularities raised by other observer missions and the opposition MDC parties. Most recently the head of the regional SADC Troika, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, this week extended his congratulations to Robert Mugabe. This followed the endorsement of the polls by fellow troika member South African President Jacob Zuma, who on Sunday urged the opposition in Zimbabwe to accept the poll outcome. The observer missions deployed by the SADC bloc and African Union (AU) have also moved to endorse the polls on the basis that they were peaceful, without commenting on the fairness of the vote. But a growing contingent of African voices is challenging this wider acceptance of the results. Botswana on Monday became the first African nation to reject claims that the poll was credible, calling for an audit of the results. Foreign affairs minister Phandu Skelemani said Botswana was concerned that last Wednesday’s vote had not measured up to SADC guidelines.“Various incidents and circumstances were revealed that call into question whether the entire electoral process, and thus its final result, can be recognised as having been fair, transparent and credible,” Skelemani said. At the same time some regional observer team members have also rejected calls for the result to be accepted. Last week, the main opposition party in South Africa rejected the preliminary endorsement of Zimbabwe’s elections by the SADC Parliamentary Forum observer mission, saying the polls were not free, fair or credible. The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s Masizole Mnqasela, who was part of the mission, refused to sign off on a report that moved to endorse the polls. The on Monday South African observer Elias Bila, who was representing the Federation of Unions for South Africa (FEDUSA) as part of the Southern African Trade Union Coordination Council observer team, called the poll outcome “a fraud.” He said the polls were not credible. This is also the position of yet another regional observer team, the Southern Africa Regional Civil Society and Social Movements observer mission. That mission, organised by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum, said in its preliminary report that “these elections were heavily compromised and fall far short of meeting the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.” Crisis Coalition coordinator Joy Mabenge told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that the observer mission noted a number of serious problems, notably the bussing in of voters, the “abnormal numbers” of assisted voters, the high numbers of people turned away at polling stations, the widespread use of voter registration slips as proof of eligibility and a flawed, incorrect voters roll. He said that the high police presence during the polls was also a reason to doubt that the process was free and credible.“We concluded that although the environment was calm, resembling peace, the overall electoral process and environment were not conducive for the conduct of free, free and credible elections. This election was not free, was not fair, was not credible,” Mabenge said. Meanwhile, Norway on Monday joined Western nations in raising concerns about Zimbabwe’s elections, saying in a statement that the polls cannot be called “fair.”“Unfortunately there are clear indications that these elections were marred by so many irregularities that they cannot be called open and fair,” said Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide. In the same statement, that country’s Minister of International Development Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås, said: “After many years of insecurity and poverty, the people of Zimbabwe deserve a better life. Unfortunately, these election flaws make it difficult to view the election results as an expression of the will of the people.” See statements Norway: Zim elections marred by irregularities Southern Africa Regional Civil Society and Social Movements Observer Mission Preliminary Statement on the Zimbabwe Elections Statement from Botswana govt on Zim election COMESA observer mission report on Zim poll To contact this reporter email alex@swradioafrica.com or follow on Twitter↧