What matters is what the Southern African Development Community observers think. Chances are they will give it a clean bill of health and say that the election represents the will of the people. They have done that with previous elections. Even after the counting farce of March 29, warned Stevenson.
If they say it’s free and fair, let’s challenge them in the SADC Tribunal. Let’s raise awareness throughout SADC about what is really going on. The more public the thing is the more difficult it will be for them to lie and say it was free and fair. Don’t let SADC say they didn’t have the resources. The UN has promised huge help if only they ask.
Stevenson highlighted a news conference in which Lesotho’s Prime Minister, Pakalitha Mososili, said the sovereignty of Zimbabwe must be respected. Mososili said he understood there was no way that the run-off poll could be rigged. His argument was rejected by Alina Rantsolase of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), who said: The first round was already rigged.
Stevenson said Pakalitha was clearly uninformed about events in in Zimbabwe.
But congratulations to the trade unions. Democracy and international pressure aren’t just about governments, he said. African despots should beware – there are democratic forces lurking and acting out there.
Post published in: News