Think-tank says US should set high bar for elections in Zimbabwe

A right-wing United States think-tank says the United States should set a high bar for what constitutes a peaceful, free and fair election when Zimbabwe holds its polls on 31 July, just five days away.

The Heritage Foundation even said if the election falls short, the United States should denounce the election and demand a new one.

The organisation said Washington should support the Southern African Development Community’s efforts, particularly those of South African President Jacob Zuma, to obtain guarantees from Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe’s military leadership that they will uphold a peaceful transition of power if ZANU-PF loses in the election.

The foundation describes itself as “a research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defence”.

It says the United States should urge the SADC and the African Union to strongly condemn Zimbabwe—including suspending Zimbabwe’s membership—if the election is not free and fair.

Washington should strengthen current sanctions if the electoral process is not deemed credible or if Zimbabwean security forces do not allow for the peaceful transition of power, and should seek to engender complementary sanctions from the SADC and other countries, particularly in Europe, which prematurely removed sanctions on 35 Zimbabweans and resumed direct bilateral aid.

It is not clear whether the foundation is saying the elections will only be fair if the Movement for Democratic Change wins because MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has already publicly stated that the July elections are illegitimate regardless of who wins.

The European Union has said it will consider the elections free and fair if SADC and AU observers say they were.

The foundation also clearly demonstrated double standards from the West by calling on the AU and SADC to suspend Zimbabwe when the United States went on to recognise the military coup in Egypt after the AU said it did not recognise the new military government.

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