The people of Zimbabwe and all level headed people out there will be outraged if the EU and the other international elections observers election observers come out with a wishy-washy report comparable to the statement from UK Minister of State for Africa, the Right Honourable Harriett Baldwin.
"The UK was encouraged that Zimbabweans turned out in record numbers to vote in the elections on 30 July, and particularly the increase in first-time voters, including many young, urban Zimbabweans, who found themselves excluded from previous electoral rolls,” said Minister Baldwin.
"The UK was encouraged that Zimbabweans turned out in record numbers to vote in the elections on 30 July, and particularly the increase in first-time voters, including many young, urban Zimbabweans, who found themselves excluded from previous electoral rolls,” said Minister Baldwin.
"While polling day passed off peacefully, a number of concerns have been raised by observer missions, particularly about the pre-election environment, the role of state media, and the use of state resources. There is much to be done to build confidence in Zimbabwe's electoral process.
"The UK remains deeply concerned by the violence following the elections and the disproportionate response from the security forces. We have urged all parties to work together to ensure calm. It is vital that any appeals against the results or the process are handled swiftly and impartially. All candidates have a responsibility to ensure their supporters act with restraint and avoid violence, while any challenges to the results are resolved.”
"The UK remains deeply concerned by the violence following the elections and the disproportionate response from the security forces. We have urged all parties to work together to ensure calm. It is vital that any appeals against the results or the process are handled swiftly and impartially. All candidates have a responsibility to ensure their supporters act with restraint and avoid violence, while any challenges to the results are resolved.”
Sorry but that is simply not good enough! The people of Zimbabwe are expecting the British government and the international elections observers to answer the question: where these elections free, fair and credible?
Compared to Zimbabwe’s past elections these elections were free of the usual scourge of blatant intimidation, beatings, rape and even murders. There is no disputing that having an election process that is free of all manner of violence is important for free, fair and credible elections. Still there is no disputing that this is not the only requirement.
The Right Honourable Minister Baldwin, does not need anyone to remind her that President Mnangagwa will cherry pick from her statement and focus on what she was “encouraged” with and forget all she was “concerned” about! It is therefore imperative that the Minister states categorically whether what she was concerned about was serious enough to render these election NOT free, fair and credible.
Would Minister Baldwin or any other British government official or private citizen judge British elections in which there is no free media; no verified voters’ roll; the government of the day robbed the nation blind to bankroll its vote-rigging and vote-buying schemes; etc.; etc. free, fair and credible? Not even one of you would ever do that for the simple reason that doing so would let the genie out of the bottle. It will cause untold human suffering and cost hundreds of thousands of lives to put the little green man back in the bottle.
Just because Zanu PF and opposition politicians do not know what constitute free, fair and credible elections this does not mean the rest of the people do not. Millions of ordinary Zimbabweans KNOW these elections were flawed and illegal. To say otherwise, specially by those who would never ever allow such an outrage in their own country, is extremely patronising, to say the least.
It is important to note that none of the foreign investors and lenders, whose money Zimbabwe needs to kick-start, the country’s collapsed economy are going to continue to shy away from investing in the country. The British government can afford to be patronising and turn a blind eye to these rigged elections. No investor will risk their money investing in a country so unstable the only way to achieve regime change is by military coup, violent street protests or some such violent act!
By failing to hold free, fair and credible elections; President Mnangagwa has just confirmed that Zimbabwe is still a pariah state ruled by vote-rigging thugs. Investors do not do business with thugs!
"We will continue to work with the Government and the Zimbabwean people to support democracy and good governance, help with the country's development, and promote regional security and prosperity. The UK remains a close partner of the Zimbabwean people in their quest for a better future," concluded Minister Baldwin.
"We will continue to work with the Government and the Zimbabwean people to support democracy and good governance, help with the country's development, and promote regional security and prosperity. The UK remains a close partner of the Zimbabwean people in their quest for a better future," concluded Minister Baldwin.
With all due respect Minister Baldwin, the British government is NOT supporting democracy and good governance by helping Zanu PF get away with rigged elections! By failing to condemn these rigged elections decisively the British are giving President Mnangagwa a bolt hole to escape his regime being ruled illegitimate.
6 comments:
@ Morgen Komichi
"President Mnangagwa must learn to be different from (former president Robert) Mugabe, but anyhow, when Mugabe was defeated by president Tsvangirai in 2008, he wanted to hand over power to Tsvangirai, but it was Mnangagwa who reversed the results of the 2008 elections. He is not a new person in this matter. He is the master of deceit. He must not pretend to be good to the world, he knows what he did; that he rigged the elections. He steals an election from us and he wants to extend an olive branch to us. Can that be real politics? It is a culture that is developing in Africa and we cannot allow that kind of thing, let a winner be the winner," you said.
"So verifying was supposed to start after inputting had been completed and we get printed results constituency by constituency and we compare them with the figures which we have from our V11 forms."
MDC had the V11 forms and must have done their own addition. Why are they refusing to make public what their figures are!.
MDC should not have agreed to take part in these elections without reforms. They knew Zanu PF would rig the elections, they participated believing they will win rigged elections. Now that they have failed to do so they are complaining of the rigging. It is too late!
@ Jimika
"Wilbert just feel free to organise your own elections and let us see if you are going to call them free and fair," you saying.
So are you saying Zimbabweans are incapable of holding free, fair and credible elections? Worse still, after 38 years of rigged elections we must accept yet another rigged elections as free, fair and credible?
No wonder the country is in a real mess; with mentally challenged individuals like you, it could have done little else.
Jimika, these elections were rigged and I have told you how Zanu PF rigged the elections. You can call them free and fair if you so wish that will not change the reality! I for one I am not really interested in your nauseating arguments!
@ McGood
"u are just being emotional. we need positive comments from Britain for investors to come. The noise you are making about democracy serve political interest of individuals. u forget that Zimbabweans need the economy back. whether it happens under Chamisa or ED does not matter. Elections are over now logic must prevail," you say.
Elections are over and everyone with eyes to see can see that Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections. Investors are a shrewd lot and they certainly can see that Zimbabwe is still a pariah state ruled by vote rigging thugs; they do not need me or anyone to tell them that - they can see it with their own eyes.
"Zimbabwe is open for business!" is dead in the water. No investor is going to invest his/her money in a country so unstable that the only way to achieve regime change is by a military coup, street protests or worse!
ED thought he could rig the elections and get away with it just like Mugabe has done in the past. But what ED has clearly failed to appreciate is that he cannot rig economic recovery too; Mugabe too thought he could but he failed just as Mnangagwa will fail! You too have clearly failed to grasp the link between rigged elections and economic meltdown but time waits for no one. You will soon learn as the economy continue to nosedive!
@Cde
"Why do you want the British to say what you want? Ndookuti observer ka uku. One observes and commends on the observation," you argue.
The international observers are aware of the facts on the ground; no free public media, no verified voters' roll, etc. I and anyone out there would like the observers to make the right conclusion. There cannot be free and fair elections with no free public media, no verified voters' roll, etc. and the observers must therefore condemn these flawed and illegal elections! Condemn them they must unless they are hypocrites or from nations that have yet to hold free and fair elections like China or most of the AU and SADC!
Labour minister, Petronella Kagonye lost Goromonzi South to Reuben Chikudo of MDC Alliance, Tshinga Dube lost Makokoba to James Sithole of MDC Alliance, and Chris Mutsvangwa failed to win back Norton from independent candidate Themba Mliswa.
Recently, Chinamasa was widely derided after he came to Rusape to preside over the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a skip bin, and pictures of him posing for photographs went viral on social media, earning for himself the nickname 'Mr Bin'.
On his part, Tekeshe received a boost to his campaign when MDC alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa endorsed him while addressing thousands of party supporters during a rally at Vengere Stadium recently.
Other notable Zanu PF politicians who lost their seats are Terrence Mukupe who lost Harare East to Tendai Biti and Jaison Passade who lost Mt Pleasant to Samuel Banda. Mukupe is Chinamasa's deputy at the Ministry of Finance.
Chinamasa and others will be back in government under one guess or another, watch this space!
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