Gaborone – Botswana on Monday said it will lobby southern African leaders for an audit of Zimbabwe’s disputed elections, calling into question the fairness of President Robert Mugabe’s victory.
Foreign affairs minister Phandu Skelemani said Botswana was concerned that Wednesday’s vote had not measured up to Southern African Development Community (SADC) guidelines.
“Various incidents and circumstances were revealed that call into question whether the entire electoral process, and thus its final result, can be recognised as having been fair, transparent and credible,” he said in rare African criticism of the vote.
Western nations have voiced serious doubts about Zimbabwe’s election – slammed as “fraudulent” by the opposition – after it extended 89-year-old Mugabe’s 33 years in power.
SADC said it was “free and peaceful” but stopped short at saying it was fair.
A dossier of irregularities witnessed by Botswana’s 80 member observer team will be shared with SADC, the African Union and the international community.
The 15-member regional SADC will then be lobbied to approve an independent audit of the vote during its heads of state meeting later this month in Malawi.
“We need an audit to enable us to pronounce as to whether the elections meet the SADC guidelines,” Skelemani told journalists.
Botswana’s observers had spotted various incidents prior to the elections though the voting day was “free and peaceful”, he said.
President Ian Khama is one of the few African leaders to openly criticise Mugabe.
In 2008, Harare’s diamond rich neighbour refused to accept the veteran leader’s re-election in chaotic polls.
– AFP
COMMENTS
In an African continent where most of our so called presidents only care for themselves and do not see any evil against Mugabe and Zanupf,The only shining star and our only hope is Botswana.We respect you Botswana,please we need your voice and hopefully some more African countries will join as well.Zuma has showed how corrupt and evil he is,we thought he cares about the people of zimbabwe but just like Mbeki,there are all evil.Where is the President of Malawi,?quite now enjoying the pecks of bieng a president
NKHWA UNOGUTA KABHAYA DULA!
Khama is the only voice of reason and for that let him and Botswana be blessed. I am finding it quiet unbelievable that SADC is so afraid of Mugabe that non of their resolutions were implemented and they can now safely say all was well. Why were the resolutions made in the first place and never implemented. From the onset, SADC should have started by taking stock on their own resolutions, if none was followed then the guidelines were not followed and therefore the election is not credible. Believing or taking a nod from West Africa is disastrous, how many civil wars and coups were stage in West Africa alone, is this the way that SADC is trying to take us to. Populations in SADC are humble, civil peaceful and resilient, but politicians are trying to this status away. If there was transparency, then auditing of results is the way to go, there is nothing to hide.
How can anyone who calls themselves civilized recognise a leader who is a murderer, bigamist, adulterer, a thief and poacher. Maybe this qualifies a person to become/retain being president in Zimbabwe.
This Son of Seretse Khama is probably the most reliable,
believable, African Leader. Should he get involved in an
enquiry into this fraudulent Election we may learn something.