Bring Back the GNU to prepare for fresh elections

Having read the exclusive interview Zimeye made with an employee of Nivuk (http://www.zimeye.org/?p=87292A); having read about the national identification documents of dead Zimbabweans which were used to vote in the just ended Zimbabwe harmonised elections, some of which were discovered in Chegutu; having read from an MDC media release that ZEC had admitted that 206 901 voters were assisted to vote and 304 890 were turned away from voting; having read about people in the rural areas being asked to give the last three digits of the ballot paper to Zanu PF officials after voting; having read that other political parties in the Government of National Unity were now involved in the selection of polling officers, and having read that at some polling stations the presiding officers were Zanu PF officials; and knowing fully well that a ZEC officials resigned citing unprofessional conduct of the elections, I am sure President-elect, Comrade Robert Gabriel Mugabe must now realise that the truth cannot be concealed any more, and admit that his handlers did not do a clever enough job and admit the election was rigged and call for a fresh election.

The following statements by former South African President Thabo Mbeki must guide the way forward: “You have seen the report by the African Union observers that there were problems that must be addressed”; “Sadc has said the elections were free and peaceful but we need to look at the number of things to determine the fairness.” Importantly, the AU observers reportedly noted that there were “grave concerns” about the voters’ roll and there was “no evidence that copies of the critical voters’ roll were made available to candidates.” (http://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2013/08/07/mbeki-queries-vote-fairness), so how can the just ended exercise qualify for a credible election when the voters' role is not availed to candidates?

The Government of National Unity must be brought back, and its major assignment must be to prepare for a fresh election, which should be presided over by SADC. The Presiding officer at every polling station must be a member of the SADC election team.

There is no way a government which steals elections can address the needs of the people it stole from.

I am sure Mugabe and Zanu PF have learned the hard way, but pro-democracy forces must not give up the fight. I hope also that our fellow African brothers in SADC and the AU will reconsider their positions, especially after getting more evidence about the rigging from the Tsvangirai-led MDC who are preparing a dossier of evidence to produce in court.

President-elect Mugabe must do some soul-searching and ask himself what legacy he wants to leave for Zimbabwe, and do what is right for Zimbabwe – allow a free and fair election for once.