Chinamasa gave a briefing on the country’s state of preparedness ahead of the general elections. The AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Aisha Abdullahi, was quoted in the media endorsing the country’s preparedness on polls. Abdullahi said that assessments by the AU Observer Mission to Zimbabwe indicated that the country was on course to a credible poll. She told journalists that it was possible to have free and fair elections in Zimbabwe although there was no guarantee that it would be the most perfect. She said: “The environment in Zimbabwe so far reassures us that the conditions are good for the election to be held on July 31. “The Peace and Security Council has noted the levels of preparation for the election and confirmed that the funding gap has been filled,” she was quoted saying. MDC- T Secretary for International Relations and Co- operation, Jameson Timba, said his party was not aware that the country had been invited by the regional body to make a presentation regarding elections. Timba said: “We are not party to that arrangement, neither were we consulted that such a presentation regarding the country’s elections had been requested at the AU summit. It is highly likely that Zanu (PF) initiated their attendance and presentation at the summit because we were never consulted on what Chinamasa was going to present.” Concerns still prevail over funding for the election, with doubts as to whether money to bankroll polling would be made on time, barely over a week before the July 31 plebiscite. Addressing party supporters at Rudhaka stadium in Marondera last week, President Robert Mugabe castigated the two MDC formations and accused them of trying to scuttle the country’s electoral processes by seeking the intervention of regional blocs such as SADC. Mugabe hinted that the African Union was set to convene a meeting this week on Zimbabwe and vowed that the country was set to hold its watershed elections irrespective of the outcome of the summit. Timba told The Zimbabwean that the AU intervention was premised on SADC recommendations and his party was yet to get information detailing that such initiatives had been taken by SADC. “We are not aware that SADC made a recommendation to that effect with the regional block. As far as we are concerned, there has not been any move in that direction," said Timba. MDC spokesperson, Kurauone Chihwayi questioned Chinamasa’s credibility to represent the country. Chihwayi said it was obvious that he (Chinamasa) would present his party’s position instead of a national perspective on elections. He said: “We are shocked with the AU’s decision to invite Chinamasa if it is true that they asked him to represent all of us. “As a political party, we do not believe that he is the right person to represent us all because of what he has done in the past. He is likely to misrepresent facts,” said Chihwayi, adding that: “It is clear that Zanu (PF) is a party which strives on misguided conduct and lies. They are at the forefront of the AU summit yet they claim that we initiated attendance at a summit that we are not even aware of.”
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 08:30:29 +0000
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