“All the political parties we talked to did not complain about rigging or the possibility of rigging in future,” Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the AU Chairperson said at a media briefing today in the capital.
She added: “Generally, all of them were happy with the fact that everything has been peaceful up to now and we hope that the environment will obtain until the end. One representative of a political party said there will not be orchestrated violence.”
However, Tsvangirai, at a subsequent press briefing, fumed at the chair’s statements, saying her utterances were questionable and spoilt her integrity.
“We know her (Dlamini-Zuma’s) background but I don’t want to cause unnecessary conflict with anyone. She is giving a Zanu (PF) to justify election rigging. Her integrity as an impartial observer becomes questionable,” said Tsvangirai.
He added: “Why should she lie about the contents of a meeting held in the presence of several people?
MDC-T has in the recent past complained about a shambolic voter’s roll and claimed that Nikud, an Israeli company, was aiding Zanu (PF) to rig the polls.
The party has also voiced concern at the exclusion of thousands of people from registering as voters.
Dlamini-Zuma said the only party the observer team was yet to talk was Zapu because its leader, Dumiso Dabengwa, was busy with campaigns.
The AU, while hailing the generally peaceful environment ahead of the general elections, however expressed concern over the disenfranchisement of several thousands of Zimbabweans.
Presenting the observer mission’s pre-election statement, Aisha Abdullahi, the AU’s Commissioner of Political Affairs, said noted that many people failed to register to vote.
“The Mission notes that thousands more Zimbabweans were unable to register due to the expiry of the 30 day prescription period. The Mission also noted complaints of exclusion by previously denationalised Zimbabweans, whose citizenship rights were restored by the new Constitution,” said Abdullahi.
The statement also noted, “with concern”, the failure to align new laws to the new constitution to ensure free and fair elections.
The organisation said “fundamental freedoms may be curtailed should there be no further review of the provisions of the Broadcasting Services Act and the Public Order and Security Act and the manner in which they being implemented”.
It noted that, because of the failure to amend the laws, “the political antecedents that contributed to the post-election violence of 2008 may still exist”.
The mission called for more efforts to ensure that the Electoral Act catered for the needs of disabled people, urging the printing of ballots in braille for visually impaired people.
It acknowledged that the voter registration and special voting exercises had been “clouded by uncertainties about funding” that were worsened by logistical and management challenges encountered by ZEC.
The report said the “entire special voting process was paralysed by a failure to deliver ballot papers timeously” but the AU chair was confident that ZEC would be able to manage the July 31 polling process well.
The continental bloc also expressed disquiet over the exclusion of civil society from the pre-registration voter education process.
Meanwhile, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa launched its poll observation in Harare today with its Secretary General, Sindiso Ngwenya, saying he was confident the elections would be peaceful.
“COMESA is confident the elections will be fair. They have to be free and fair,” he said.
Post published in: News