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Southern Africa: Zim Process Within the Law - SADC
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New Era (Windhoek)
14 April 2008
Posted to the web 14 April 2008
Petronella Sibeene
Windhoek
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State Extraordinary Summit on Zimbabwe concluded that despite the delay in the announcement of Zimbabwe's presidential results, the process of law is being followed.
President Hifikepunye Pohamba said this upon arrival from the summit yesterday morning.
"We left Lusaka convinced that due process of law is being followed," said the President in an interview at Eros Airport.
Describing the deliberations during the summit as fruitful, the President revealed that SADC Heads of State recommended that Member States wait for the High Court in Zimbabwe to make its ruling today (Monday) before any interference in the matter.
The marathon summit held in Lusaka, Zambia, on Saturday from 15h00 until yesterday at 07h00, was aimed at resolving the Zimbabwean post-election stalemate.
Pohamba is optimistic that the Zimbabwe High Court will today make its ruling but did not give an alternative in the event the court rules otherwise.
"Immediately after the court pronounces itself, the electoral commission will have to announce the results in accordance with the law," he said.
The Chairman of SADC, President Levy Mwanawasa, called the summit after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) failed to release the March 29 presidential election results.
"A common adage teaches, 'it is most unwise to turn a blind eye when a neighbour's house is on fire'. In this regard, we are all bound together by circumstances as a region," Mwanawasa said during the opening of the summit.
Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, was not present at the summit but sent three representatives, whom Pohamba described as a "powerful delegation".
Mwanawasa described Mugabe's absence as 'a pity', adding that his presence would have enriched the discussions.
"This meeting is not meant to put President Mugabe in the dock or, God forbid, to try him, but rather to enable him to explain things to us and listen to our advice," Mwanawasa said in a report by Pana press.
Despite the delay in presidential poll results, Pohamba said Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) president, Morgan Tsvangirai, on the sidelines of the summit confirmed that the elections were fair, peaceful and transparent. The delay or the failure by the ZEC prompted MDC to file an urgent petition with the High Court. Mwanawasa said the Zimbabwe judicial system failed to handle the petition on the elections.
The situation regarding poll results in Zimbabwe has not only brought concern to SADC leaders but has brought about mixed feelings even to the common man with many individuals concluding that rigging is likely.
Pohamba said circulating rumours that the delay is aimed at tampering with the electoral outcome were untrue. "The Electoral Commission of Zimbabwe is an independent body and no one can interfere, not MDC or Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF)," he stated.
The Head of State explained that the delay in presidential results announcement in neighbouring Zimbabwe was due to suspected discrepancies at the voting points.
He said after the results were counted at the polling stations, they were put up for the public to see. It, however, emerged that the results delivered at the central point from polling stations were not the same as those displayed earlier on. "It was felt that the electoral commission looks into the situation, both Zanu-PF and MDC complained and sought verification," Pohamba said.
"The verification could not take a short time because there were 9000 polling stations," Pohamba added.
He said, "They (Zimbabwe delegation and Tsvangirai) explained why there has been a delay in announcing the presidential results."
Suspected tampering with votes led to the arrest of four electoral officials who have already appeared in court.
Those who attended the summit were first Zambian president, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, South African President, Thabo Mbeki, Angolan President, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana President, Ian Khama, Malawi President, Bingu wa Mutharika and Mozambican President, Armando Guebuzza.
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Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marco Hausiku, accompanied the President.
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