Tanzania says it doesn’t recognise Mugabe
By ConesaJohn
Tanzania has said it does not recognise Mr Robert Mugabe as the President of Zimbabwe, with Foreign Affairs minister Bernard Membe describing last week's run-off as “a highly flawed election”.
Mr Membe told a press conference in Dar es Salaam on Friday that the run-off on June 27, in which the embattled Mugabe was declared President, was declared null and void by the Africa Union during the recent summit held in Egypt.
In response to a question by a reporter to state Tanzania’s perception of Mugabe, who won the controversial elections boycotted by opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the Foreign Affairs minister retorted: “There is no question on that because if you accepted reports of election monitors, the matter of whether we recognise Mugabe or not does not arise. That election was not recognised."
Stated position
Tanzania government’s stated position is significant coming from a country whose President Jakaya Kikwete is the current chairman of the African Union.
It is likely to receive endorsements by governments of the 54-member union in line with international position taken by the United Nations to isolate Mugabe.
Mr Membe said election monitors from the South African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the Pan African Parliament all gave verdicts that cast doubts about the credibility of the elections.
He said a campaign of violence and exclusion made it impossible for a free and fair election.
“The decision not to recognise the Zimbabwe elections has been endorsed by AU and SADC after adopting the monitors’ reports,” Mr Membe, who is also the chairman of the AU Foreign Affairs ministers, said at the briefing, just a day after returning into the country from the Egypt summit.
He said during the summit, no Africa head of state supported the Zimbabwe election nor extended a congratulatory message to Mugabe.
Mugabe defied world condemnation, including those by his fellow African peers to press on with violence-hit elections and immediately flew to attend the Egyptian summit as head of state.
“There was no one in the Summit who was happy with what happened in Zimbabwe and also no one congratulated Mugabe for being the president. All the members condemned what happened in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Membe.
“This was like a football match where a player touches the ball and scores but unfortunately the referee allows it. It is not a goal scored in the normal way,” he said.
Membe said over 413 observers who participated in the elections helped AU and SADC to reach a verdict.
He said the AU mandated SADC to immediately steer a process that would bring together Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and MDC leaders to broker peace and form a government of national unity.
An urgent meeting of regional leaders would soon be held to review progress made in the process, he stressed. “No one party will be able to govern in Zimbabwe as things stand now. Zanu-PF cannot rule alone and negotiations will be the only way out,” said Membe.
During the Egypt summit, Membe said President Kikwete told Mugabe on his face that he should go and think on what the summit had decided.
As Membe spoke, international pressure was mounting with UK and Germany indicating stern measures and sanctions could be effected to push for an inclusive government in Zimbabwe.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said there was widespread agreement that action must be taken to change the status quo in Zimbabwe, possibly with the help of a peacekeeping force.
“Virtually the whole international community is saying the status quo cannot continue. MDC has got to be recognised for the electoral support it had,” Brown told a group of cross-party British lawmakers.
“There will be no support for this regime until democracy is restored. We will intensify the sanctions unless action is taken to change the status quo,” he said.
Brown said the second election was a “travesty of justice and during that election the regime has blood on its hands for what has happened”.
Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8)
industrialised nations will discuss sharpening sanctions against Zimbabwe at a summit in Japan next week, a senior German government official said on Thursday.
“Britain is pushing for a separate statement on this,” said the official, who was speaking to reporters in Berlin and asked not to be identified by name.
G8 leaders
Britain wanted G8 leaders to emphasise in the statement that they did not recognise the re-election of President Robert Mugabe and to include a section saying that tighter sanctions should be considered, the German official added.
Mugabe was re-elected at the weekend in a vote that was boycotted by the opposition and widely condemned by world leaders.
The United States is pushing for tougher sanctions against Zimbabwe’s leadership through the United Nations, but UN Security Council diplomats say South Africa, Russia and China oppose Washington’s plans.
A US-drafted resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday includes asset freezes and travel bans for officials including Mugabe and the central bank chief.
Tanzania has said it does not recognise Mr Robert Mugabe as the President of Zimbabwe, with Foreign Affairs minister Bernard Membe describing last week's run-off as “a highly flawed election”.
Mr Membe told a press conference in Dar es Salaam on Friday that the run-off on June 27, in which the embattled Mugabe was declared President, was declared null and void by the Africa Union during the recent summit held in Egypt.
In response to a question by a reporter to state Tanzania’s perception of Mugabe, who won the controversial elections boycotted by opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the Foreign Affairs minister retorted: “There is no question on that because if you accepted reports of election monitors, the matter of whether we recognise Mugabe or not does not arise. That election was not recognised."
Stated position
Tanzania government’s stated position is significant coming from a country whose President Jakaya Kikwete is the current chairman of the African Union.
It is likely to receive endorsements by governments of the 54-member union in line with international position taken by the United Nations to isolate Mugabe.
Mr Membe said election monitors from the South African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the Pan African Parliament all gave verdicts that cast doubts about the credibility of the elections.
He said a campaign of violence and exclusion made it impossible for a free and fair election.
“The decision not to recognise the Zimbabwe elections has been endorsed by AU and SADC after adopting the monitors’ reports,” Mr Membe, who is also the chairman of the AU Foreign Affairs ministers, said at the briefing, just a day after returning into the country from the Egypt summit.
He said during the summit, no Africa head of state supported the Zimbabwe election nor extended a congratulatory message to Mugabe.
Mugabe defied world condemnation, including those by his fellow African peers to press on with violence-hit elections and immediately flew to attend the Egyptian summit as head of state.
“There was no one in the Summit who was happy with what happened in Zimbabwe and also no one congratulated Mugabe for being the president. All the members condemned what happened in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Membe.
“This was like a football match where a player touches the ball and scores but unfortunately the referee allows it. It is not a goal scored in the normal way,” he said.
Membe said over 413 observers who participated in the elections helped AU and SADC to reach a verdict.
He said the AU mandated SADC to immediately steer a process that would bring together Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and MDC leaders to broker peace and form a government of national unity.
An urgent meeting of regional leaders would soon be held to review progress made in the process, he stressed. “No one party will be able to govern in Zimbabwe as things stand now. Zanu-PF cannot rule alone and negotiations will be the only way out,” said Membe.
During the Egypt summit, Membe said President Kikwete told Mugabe on his face that he should go and think on what the summit had decided.
As Membe spoke, international pressure was mounting with UK and Germany indicating stern measures and sanctions could be effected to push for an inclusive government in Zimbabwe.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said there was widespread agreement that action must be taken to change the status quo in Zimbabwe, possibly with the help of a peacekeeping force.
“Virtually the whole international community is saying the status quo cannot continue. MDC has got to be recognised for the electoral support it had,” Brown told a group of cross-party British lawmakers.
“There will be no support for this regime until democracy is restored. We will intensify the sanctions unless action is taken to change the status quo,” he said.
Brown said the second election was a “travesty of justice and during that election the regime has blood on its hands for what has happened”.
Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8)
industrialised nations will discuss sharpening sanctions against Zimbabwe at a summit in Japan next week, a senior German government official said on Thursday.
“Britain is pushing for a separate statement on this,” said the official, who was speaking to reporters in Berlin and asked not to be identified by name.
G8 leaders
Britain wanted G8 leaders to emphasise in the statement that they did not recognise the re-election of President Robert Mugabe and to include a section saying that tighter sanctions should be considered, the German official added.
Mugabe was re-elected at the weekend in a vote that was boycotted by the opposition and widely condemned by world leaders.
The United States is pushing for tougher sanctions against Zimbabwe’s leadership through the United Nations, but UN Security Council diplomats say South Africa, Russia and China oppose Washington’s plans.
A US-drafted resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday includes asset freezes and travel bans for officials including Mugabe and the central bank chief.
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