Tsvangirai slams Zim election as illegitimate - 02/08/2013 06:05:00 By Ray Ndlovu Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday slammed the election held on July 31 as illegitimate‚ setting the stage for a showdown with President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) over the election outcome‚ which could plunge Zimbabwe into a fresh crisis. A report published by Reuters on Thursday morning claimed that a senior Zanu (PF) official had indicated that Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) had sealed a landslide victory in Wednesday’s election. As a result‚ political speculation swirled in Harare and Bulawayo that the 89-year-old Mugabe‚ in power since 1980 was on his way to landing a seventh consecutive term in office. Vote counting is currently underway after millions of Zimbabweans voted on Wednesday to elect a new president‚ alongside representatives for parliament and council. According to figures from the registrar-generals office‚ 6.4-million voters were eligible to cast their ballot in yesterday’s poll. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairwoman‚ Rita Makarau on Wednesday night gave the election the green light and described it as “free and fair”‚ in sharp contrast to Tsvangirai’s critical assessment which he gave reporters at a press briefing held in Harare on Thursday. “The election has been a huge farce … credibility has been marred by administrative and legal violations which affect the legitimacy of the outcome‚” Tsvangirai said. “The election does not meet Southern African Development Community guidelines. It’s a sham poll that does not reflect will of the people.” In an uneasy power sharing government since February 2009‚ Wednesday’s election is expected to usher in a decisive winner. A disputed outcome‚ political observers warn could certainly culminate into a repeat of a government of national unity being brokered again. In a rare press conference on Tuesday‚ Mugabe said he would step down if he lost the election‚ a remark that has been received circumspectly by his political opponents. “This election is heavily manipulated‚ the outcome is illegitimate. The illegitimacy of the result will plunge country into a serious crisis‚” said Tsvangirai. “The failure to release voters roll on time‚ the lack of accountability and abuse of postal voting shows its a sham election.” The ZEC‚ under law is required to announce election results within five days of voting. Delays in meeting this requirement are certain to fuel more tensions which are already on the rise. Police officials warned individuals‚ civic society groups against announcing any results‚ before the official announcement by the ZEC.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 10:09:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015