BY STAFF REPORTER
HARARE
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has called for the presidential run-off to be held within 21 days, as stipulated under election law.
Meanwhile, the MDC has said it will not be pushed into announcing its decision on whether to participate or not.
Morgan Tsvangirai’s spokesman, George Sibotshiwe, said the party would only reveal its decision when the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) announced the date of the election.
The party’s Secretary for International Affairs, Elphas Mukonoweshuro, said the provisions of the Electoral Act were quite clear in that a run-off has to be held within 21 days of the announcement of the presidential results.
“If they cannot be held within this timeframe, there could be an understandable delay of a week or two because of logistical considerations, but not more than that. It cannot be extended to a year or even delayed by six weeks,” Mukonoweshuro said.
The MDC insists Tsvangirai won outright on March 29 and party officials dismissed as fraudulent Friday’s official announcement that he got the most votes, but not enough to avoid a second round.
Mukonoweshuro accused the regime of delaying the official results while the army and party militants mounted a campaign of violence and intimidation intended to undermine support for the opposition before any run-off.
“The level of violence has increased in the rural areas and this climate of fear raises doubts [that] the election would be held in a peaceful environment,” Mukonoweshuro said.
The ZESN, a network of 38 non-governmental organisations that has been observing all aspects of the electoral process, called for the second round of voting to be within the required 21 days after the announcement of the result of the presidential poll by the ZEC. The Zanu (PF) candidate Robert Mugabe garnered 43.2 per cent, the MDC candidate Morgan Tsvangirai got 47.9 per cent, Simba Makoni got 8.3 per cent and Langton Towungana got 0.6 per cent of the vote.
The ZESN said it would continue to observe the election and to provide independent information. It would continue the deployment of its long- and short-term observers across the country.
A run-off has to be held within 21 days of the announcement of the presidential results. “It cannot be extended to a year or even delayed by six weeks,” says Elphas Mukonoweshuro.
Post published in: News