Poll watchdog urges police to curb violence

By Our Correspondent

BULAWAYO, May 7, 2008 (thezimbabwetimes.com) - The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), an independent electoral watchdog, has said the police must stamp out politically violence, which is raging in some rural areas countrywide.

The call comes as the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which now controls Parliament following the March 29 elections, accused the police, the military and Zanu –PF members, of assaulting and kidnapping its supporters in rural areas.

At least 20 MDC supporters have reportedly perished at the hands of Zanu-PF gangs while more than 5 000 have been displaced from their homes in the post-election mayhem.
Teachers working in rural schools have been prime targets of the wave of violence, according to the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ). Some schools have remained closed at the start of the second term last week as teachers have fled from marauding Zanu-PF militants.
“ZESN calls for zero tolerance on the prevailing political violence,” said ZESN chairman, Noel Kutukwa.
“We call upon political leaders to denounce political violence publicly. Furthermore ZESN urges the police to act swiftly and decisivelyin dealing with the perpetrators in accordance with the law. It is essential that the conditions prevailing prior to the March 29 poll should serve as minimum requirements for this (run-off) election.”
According to the result issued by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), neither of the two leading presidential candidates, President Robert Mugabe of Zanu-PF or Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC, won more than 50 percent of the valid vote required to be able to form a government.
But Tsvangirai beat Mugabe after he secured 47, 9 percent to the incumbent’s 43,2 percent. Independents, Simba Makoni and Langton Towungana scored 8.3 percent and 0,6 percent of the poll respectively.
This means, in terms of the Constitution, that a run-off election should be conducted between Mugabe and Tsvangirai at a date yet to be fixed by ZEC.
However, Tsvangirai has rejected the results saying he won outright. The MDC is still to decide whether or not to participate in the second round. Tsvangirai has, however, been reported as having said that a decision had been made but would be only announced once ZEC makesa catergorical statement on the timing of the run-off.
“This is a clear circumstance,” said Kutukwa of the run-off, “that will necessitate an electoral run-off in terms of Section 110 of the Electoral Act. We urge the ZEC to ensure that said run-off is undertaken within 21 days as is outlined by the Electoral Act.
“The law provides that where two or more candidates are nominated and no candidate receives a majority of the total number of valid votes cast, a second election must be held within 21 days.”
He said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) principles and guidelines on democratic elections must be adhered to during the run-off.
Kutukwa said that all the observers who were in the country for the March 29 poll must be invited back for the second election. He said his organisation was looking forward to observing the run-off and would continue deploying its long-term and short-term observers countrywide.
Kutukwa warned Mugabe against using presidential powers to tamper with electoral laws.
Kutukwa said ZEC must make announcements in good time on the numbers and distribution of postal ballots, the number of registered voters per constituency and the location of tabulation centres.
ZESN also insisted on the provision of a list of polling stations and exact details of procedures such as the verification and tabulation of results as well as the flow of information from the polling station to the national level.
“Results should also be released in a timely, transparent and accountable manner as this will definitely help reduce tensions following any election,” said Kutukwa.
The MDC has set four preconditions on which it would take part in the run-off. They include the announcement of the result within 48 hours after polling and the presence of international observers.
The party also wants SADC to verify the presidential election result announced by ZEC and for Zanu-PF to stop violence against MDC supporters.