Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Harare (Agenzia Fides) - The runoff for presidential elections in Zimbabwe has once again placed in question the participation of the opposition in the elections.
The President of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), George Chiweshe, told the state-run periodical, “Sunday Mail,” that it is “unrealistic” to think that the legislative norms that call for the second round to take place 21 days after the proclamation of the results of the first round, could be respected in this case.
“It was ambitious for the legislature to think 21 days would be enough,” in order to hold the second round.
The opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai announced that he had the intention of running in the second round, after having refused to do so at the beginning, saying that he had already won the absolute majority of votes in the first round. However, Tsvangirai had placed the condition on his entrance in the race, that the 21 days called for by law be honored. The delay announced by the President of the Electoral Commission has given the opposition leader the opportunity to decide once more whether he will or will not accept the present situation.
The government in Zimbabwe announced that it will not allow access for international observers, unless international sanctions against the country are dropped. They had been imposed due to the violation of human rights under the regime of Robert Mugabe. Regarding this matter, during a meeting with Angola’s President Dos Santos, Tsvangirai asked that a peace-keeping mission be sent from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in order to protect the population from the abuses of regime-sympathizers. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 12/5/2008; righe 22, parole 267 )
