Lekopanye Mooketsi
12 June 2008
Opposition parties in Botswana have denounced the volatile political situation in Zimbabwe ahead of the June 27 presidential run-off.
As a result, representatives of Botswana opposition parties doubt whether the run-off will be free and fair.
Botswana National Front (BNF) publicity secretary, Moeti Mohwasa said the election would not be completely free and fair. He said the election might be free on the voting day while the events leading to the polling are unfair. But he sees the run-off as an opportunity for the government to make a decision about the country's destiny.
He lamented a situation whereby people are being intimidated during the countdown to the run-off. Mohwasa described the Zimbabwean scenario as war-like.
He blamed the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) for the violence. "We have people who are not prepared for a change. This is the problem with a ruling party which has been in power for too long - people tend to develop an element of entitlement."
He said the state media is also biased towards the ruling party. He added that this is similar to what is obtaining in Botswana.
Mohwasa expressed hope that Botswana would take a cue from the Zimbabwean situation.
And Botswana Congress Party (BCP) spokesperson Dumelang Saleshando said it was evident that the Zimbabwean presidential run-off would not be free and fair. He said one of the key requirement for a free and fair election is that all the contestants should be free to campaign. But he said this was not the case in Zimbabwe as opposition leaders are being arrested. Saleshando said certain constituencies have been declared no-go areas for the opposition.
He said there is a state sponsored terror campaign which is targeted at the opposition. "To be honest there will be no free and fair elections in that country," he said.
Saleshando said many people have been displaced because of the state sponsored violence that erupted following the disputed March 29 presidential elections. He said the people who sought refugee in neighbouring countries would not go back to Zimbabwe to vote.
He accused the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) of behaving like an organ of the ZANU-PF. He said after the March 29 presidential elections, the ZEC refused to announce the results as their party had lost.
The BCP spokesperson said the international community is aware that the instability in Zimbabwe orchestrated by President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF.
He said SADC countries should tell Mugabe in clear terms that they would cut diplomatic relations with Harare if his government continues to oppress people.
He charged that Mugabe has sensed that what he is doing is endorsed by his SADC counterparts.
For his part, Botswana People's Party (BPP) secretary general Edward Mpoloka also does not believe that the presidential run-off will be a fair contest. He said there are so many people "would have been displaced and will not be able to vote" on June 27.
The BPP official said under normal circumstances, one would call for the international community to engage Mugabe because BPP does not condone what Mugabe is doing.
Mpoloka said SADC does not seem to be doing much about the crisis in Zimbabwe, noting that member states are divided and Mugabe is taking advantage of their disagreements.
He said that if they (SADC presidents) had been speaking with one voice, Mugabe would have taken them seriously.
Mpoloka said his party is calling on Zimbabweans to vote for a government of their choice.
Since the presidential elections on march 29, ZANU-PF has unleashed a reign of terror of violence in a mission dubbed "Operation how did you vote?". ZANU-PF militias have been attacking opposition members in the rural areas and destroying their property.
According to reports from Zimbabwe, more than 50 MDC supporters have been killed and over 25,000 people displaced after the March 29 elections that President Mugabe's party lost.
Zimbabwean newspapers report that last three MDC supporters were burned alive after their party offices were attacked at Bikita in the southern part of the country last week.
Opposition leaders have also not been spared. Since the March elections, a number of newly elected MDC MPs have been arrested by the police.
The leader of the other MDC faction, Arthur Mutambara was arrested following an article that he wrote for one of the newspapers.
Morgan Tsvangirai, who is facing Mugabe in the run-off, was also arrested last week. One of the Zimbabwean newspapers, The Independent, reported that Tsvangirai was arrested at a roadblock in Lupane in Matebeleland on his way to a presidential run-off campaign meeting.
The newspaper said Tsvangirai was only released following the intervention of South African President Thabo Mbeki. The MDC leader was arrested along side his deputy, Thojani Khupe and MDC national chairperson, Lovemore Moyo. The South African registered vehicle the MDC leader was driving, was also impounded by the police.
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