Tsvangirai describes polls as illegitimate, warns of crisis

Addressing journalists today at the Movement for Democratic Change headquarters in Harare, Tsvangirai said the credibility of the poll was marred by administrative and legal violations.

“The election does not meet the Southern Africa Development Community guidelines,” said Tsvangirai.

He told journalists that because the whole electoral process was militarised, the process was not independent of manipulation from the security personnel.

“Abuse of the facility to use voter registration slips as proof of registration, unauthorised voter migration, use of traditional leaders to intimidate villagers and failure to deliver the voters roll timeously resulted in the whole electoral system being manipulated,” said Tsvangirai.

He said an estimated 40 percent of potential voters were disenfranchised because no time was allocated for the inspection of the voters’ roll.

“There was duplication of names on the voters’ roll and unauthorised movement of voters from their wards, leading to almost 40 percent of the voters being turned away and disenfranchised,” he said, adding that:

“Voters were denied their choice of candidates through being forced to plead illiteracy and resort to assistance.”

Tsvangirai revealed that his party had met the African Union observer mission team Chairperson, Olusegon Obasanjo and the head of the SADC observer mission, Berenard Mmembe to inform them of the party’s position regarding the outcome of the poll.

Said Tsvangirai: “We call on SADC and the AU audit teams to look into this process, in particular the voters’ roll, the ballots and the manner in which the whole process was conducted.”