Britain says we do not want a repeat of 2008

Britain’s Junior Minister for International Development Lynne Featherstone yesterday said it was vital that elections in Zimbabwe, when held, be conducted freely and fairly and without fear of violence or intimidation.

“We do not want to see a repeat of the violence in 2008,” she said.

She was responding to a question from a Member of Parliament Gregory Campbell who asked what recent reports she had received on the holding of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe.

About 180 people were reportedly killed in the run-up to the presidential elections run-off after an indecisive poll held on 29 March 2008, forcing Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai to pull-out of the race.

Zimbabwe is due to hold its elections before the end of July and has barred international observers from the European Union, including Britain, and the United States.

Voter registration and inspection began yesterday and will go on for 30 days.

The Chair of the Zimbabwe Election Commission Rita Makarau said she needed 44 days to hold elections, giving President Mugabe until 17 June to announce the date if they are to be held before end of July.

Five political parties, namely the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change, the Zimbabwe African People’s Union, Mavambo-Kusile-Dawn, and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndoga, have said they will appeal to the Southern African Development Community that it is not practical to hold the elections before the end of July.

Featherstone said her office received and monitored regularly reports on the current environment in Zimbabwe. These came from a variety of sources including international non-governmental organisations, local civil society, the media and the three key political parties in government.

“It is vital that elections, when held, be conducted freely and fairly and without fear of violence or intimidation. We do not want to see a repeat of the violence in 2008,” she said.

“Work still remains to be done to fully implement the reforms agreed by the three political parties in the Global Political Agreement, before elections are held. We welcome Southern African Development Community’s lead role as guarantor of the GPA in its efforts to secure peace and democracy for Zimbabweans.”

SADC was supposed to meet last Sunday to discuss the Zimbabwe issue but the special summit was postponed. No new date was set.

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