HARARE – The United States said it is concerned by the actions of President Robert Mugabe’s government ahead of Saturday’s synchronized presidential and legislative polls. Washington said Harare’s behavior would preclude free and fair elections.
“Independent organizations report extensive pre-election irregularities, such as inaccurate voter rolls, violence and intimidation of competing political parties and civil society; overproduction of postal ballots for police, military, diplomats, and electoral officials and absence of independent observation of the counting of postal votes to prevent multiple voting; inadequate polling stations in urban areas; bias against the opposition in the government-controlled media; permission for police to be present inside polling stations in breach of the recent SADC-brokered agreement; and politicized distribution of government-controlled food, and other benefits and government resources” said Sean McComack in a statement.
The US Department of State spokesperson urged the Harare administration, including the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, to take concrete actions to address these “significant shortcomings, including respecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Zimbabwean people”
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has also threatened to pull out of the elections if Mugabe forges ahead with his plans to ferry all presidential ballots from all 11 000 polling stations countrywide to a national command centre in Harare for a counting. The MDC argues that if Mugabe is allowed to do that, it would be unlawful under sections of the Electoral Act which require ballots to be counted at point of polling. The opposition also says airlifting ballots to the national command centre would give the ruling Zanu PF party a chance to stuff ballots.
Meanwhile, the Save Zimbabwe Campaign, a coalition of likeminded Christians seeking a peaceful resolution to the Zimnbabwean crisis, has written to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation urging the state broadcaster to provide equal and fair coverage to political parties participating in Saturday’s polls. The coalition said ZBC was giving unlimited coverage to Zanu PF while ignoring the opposition.
Despite these obstacles, MacComack encouraged all Zimbabweans to exercise their democratic right to vote in a peaceful and orderly manner.
Attachments
READER OPINIONS
miggzo • miggzrulez@yahoo.co.uk Subject: Omugabe... My oh My Kelvin! Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:07:42 • Omugabe... You are a tool. Bro, I'm guessing you are fat and healthy, with a huge house in Borrowdale Brook, a Benz or 5 in your drive, and a private education paid for by your cheating Daddy or Mummy.. while other hard working families who have worked for years in the hope of retiring on a pension, that is now absorbed by inflation, or those aged 40 wanting to buy a home and cannot as Zim life expectancy is the lowest in the world @ 34, forcing banks to deny extension of loans, or those school kids that do not have the steak sandwiches you grew up on.. Listen, we need the IMF as they need us, we need USA as they need us, we need Europe, we need FDI, and it is called Balance of Trade... and even Zambians know this, as evident from there historic recovery. But I guess you missed all of this, sleeping in the back of your classes.
miggzo • miggzrulez@yahoo.co.uk Subject: Omugabe... My oh My Kelvin! Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:05:29 • Omugabe... You are a tool. Bro, I'm guessing you are fat and healthy, with a huge house in Borrowdale Brook, a Benz or 5 in your drive, and a private education paid for by your cheating Daddy or Mummy.. while other hard working families who have worked for years in hte hope of retiring on a pension, that is now absorbed by inflation, or those aged 40 wanting to buy a home and cannot as Zim life expectancy is the lowest in the world @ 34, forcing banks to deny extension of loans, or those school kids that do not have the steak sandwiches you grew up on you fat f*#k... We need the IMF, we need USA, we need Europe, we need FDI, and it is called Balance of Trade... and even Zambians know this, as evident from there historic recovery, but you missed all of this, sleeping in the back of your classes i guess.
n/a • n/a Subject: Chinese Colony Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:10:31 • Zimbabwe is already a Chinese colony. Whether you like it or not Zimbabwe will be like a 20th century Hong Kong.Go to Harare and Bulawayo and see what i mean OMUGABE.And for once Omugabe tell me of a leader who will break Mugabe's record of 100 000% inflation ? And tell me of a country where there is no running water in major cities? Tell me of a country that is holding on to a great grandpa for help in this modernised world? And tell me of a leader who when he is crying he thinks of Britain to blame not himself?
Omugabe • dziva@sanandresano.com Subject: Africa for Africans Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:45:40 • Zim Patriots are FREE AFRICANS who do not care what foreigners do in their own country.
And for sure, Zim Patriots will not give a damn what foreign racists think about how governance is determined in this independent African country.
Let the interfering Americans be pained as Zim Patriots ensure that Africans are Self-determined BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!
Never again will Zimbabwe be a colony or a neo-colony to the beastly and racist invaders of European stock.
Neither will Zim Patriots allow self-hating Africans to serve up Zim to the relentless and racist enemies of African people.
VOTER • p0500765r@yahoo.com Subject: BIAS Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:48:50 • l am an Independent who has seen fair distribution of airspace within the national broadcaster. If you make yourself available, it is definite that you will be given your time. l don't support the above allegations/concerns. It is the only the doubting Thomases who are ever crying foul than believing in this conducive environment. This scenario is historical in our history. Please stop peddling lies otherwise we will continue doubting their credibility in running a Government.
SUBMITYOUROPINION
Please make sure you fill in all sections for your post to be submitted. Use n/a if not submitting details. The submission code below is case-sensitive. Also make sure you get confirmation that your comment has been submitted.
