Mbeki advocates for free and fair in elections Zimbabwe
By Tichaona Sibanda
16 April 2007

South African President Thabo Mbeki has emphasised that the only way Zimbabwe can solve its crisis is to have free and fair elections next year, a senior MDC official said on Monday.

MDC secretary for Foreign Affairs Professor Elphas Mukonoweshuro said Mbeki wrote to Morgan Tsvangirai and said a free poll was the only answer to the current meltdown in the country. The letter is believed to have been copied to Arthur Mutambara and Robert Mugabe.

‘We have responded to his letter and I am sure he’s still studying the documents from both the MDC and Zanu (PF). So when he finishes only then can he decide on the way forward,’ Mukonoweshuro said.

He added that Mbeki will either engage on further consultations or if he were satisfied with responses from both sides, he would try and break the ice and call for a formal engagement between the two political parties. Mukonoweshuro ruled out any direct talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai for now saying ‘that is not on the cards but perhaps logical thinking now would be for the party delegations to meet and discuss.

But Mukonoweshuro reiterated that Mbeki’s call for free and fair elections has been on the MDC’s drawing board for the last 5 years. He said to constitute a cornerstone for a free and fair elections, the government will have to change a lot of things that currently give Zanu (PF) a far superior advantage over others.

‘Technically speaking, all other Southern African Development Community countries don’t have laws that make it difficult for the opposition to campaign or have equal access to the media. Other countries don’t have laws like POSA and Aippa, so its only fair for Zimbabwe to change its electoral rules to meet standards set out by SADC,’ Mukonoweshuro said.