Tutu said the
deployment of international peacekeepers would help prevent violence during
the presidential run-off. The opposition MDC accuses President Robert Mugabe
‘sruling ZANU-PF of using violence to intimidate its partisans in rural areas
to ensure victory for the ruling party. But the ruling party dismissed the
accusation and blamed the opposition for conniving with enemies of Zimbabwe
to force a regime change.
The government warned the MDC that any act to subvert the country’s
constitution by forcing a regime change is treasonous. From Harare, MDC
international affairs secretary Eliphas Mukonoweshuro tells reporter Peter
Clottey that the ongoing violence is detrimental to free and fair elections.
“It is quite clear that with the level of violence at the present moment, it
would be difficult for people to express their political opinion without
interference. Therefore, the MDC will support any effort from whatever
international quarter to ensure that voting takes place under free and fair
conditions in the context of peace,” Mukonoweshuro pointed out.
He concurs that it would be an enormous challenge for the MDC to do well in
the election run-off with the scale of the ongoing violence.
“It would be extremely difficult to consider elections held in such a
violent condition as legitimate and bringing about a legitimate expression
of the people’s wishes. So, it is not a matter of what Mr. Mugabe and his
political party wishes to see. I think the international community must
insist that elections must be held in the contest of peaceful conditions,”
he said.
Mukonoweshuro said the ruling party has always denied election victories to
the opposition party.
“The MDC has been defeating the ruling party since 2000, but the votes have
been stolen. And what the vice president (of the opposition MDC) has been
saying is that we will repeat the same experience again. We will defeat
ZANU-PF. We are saying to the international community to assist us in
guarding the people’s vote,” Mukonoweshuro noted.
He said with international pressure, incumbent President Mugabe would hand
over power to the opposition if the ruling party loses the run-off.
“Mr. Mugabe would have no choice if the international community monitors the
election and the MDC wins again. So, we are saying to the international
community the time has come to ensure that the charade that is going on in
Zimbabwe comes to a stop,” he said.
Mukonoweshuro urged the regional SADC (Southern African Development
Community) body to help with the calls on deploying poll observers from the
international community ahead of the run-off.
“We are appealing to SADC. we are saying that SADC must ensure that this
process is brought to its logical conclusion,” Mukonoweshuro noted.
He said the opposition MDC is well prepared to win the run-off.
“We are very, very prepared. Our structures are ready to go, but they are
being destroyed by the violence that is meted out by the ZANU-PF,” he noted.
VOA
Post published in: News