via Britain: Zimbabwe Poll Results Need Independent Verification by Blessing Zulu
British Foreign Secretary William Hague says Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe’s re-election could not be deemed credible without an independent investigation into allegations of voting irregularities.
Hague told Reuters news agency that “I strongly believe that an independent investigation of any allegations of election irregularities would be required for the election result to be deemed credible,”
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last week abandoned his court challenge of Mr. Mugabe’s victory alleging bias in the judiciary.
Hague is quoted by Reuters as saying he was “extremely concerned” at the decision to abandon that challenge, saying he was disappointed that the Southern African Development Community had chosen to endorse the election result.
Australia has called for a re-run of the polls warning the country will not lift sanctions against the African country unless free and fair polls are held.
Washington has also condemned the elections saying they were flawed.
A meeting of European Union foreign ministers Wednesday agreed that sanctions against Zimbabwe would remain suspended for another six months despite an appeal by SADC leaders for the measures to me removed immediately.
In his inaugural speech Thursday that lasted more than an hour, Mr. Mugabe lashed out at western governments that have refused to accept the outcome of the July 31 poll, dismissing them as “the vile ones whose moral turpitude we must mould”.
International relations expert, Clifford Mashiri, a former Zimbabwe diplomat in Ethiopia, said Britain’s move is positive.
COMMENTS
ALL THIS ELECTION WAS A FARCE
Get a life., we voted for zanu pf finish n klaar
Lets see if the robbers can sort the state of affairs….they have had 33 yrs and it got worse. Lets see if electricity returns as normal..leys see if we can produce food again..lets see if we will be able to safely drink from taps again…I hv very big doubts. Wonder what excuse they will use. A few little travel sanctions to a handful of people does not qualify as one. Tired of that pathetic excuse. So now deliver and put your money where your mouth is bob and gang.
Sadc& Au comprise of in locomotive stooges & scarecrows they have blinkers ,they don’t have foresight they are promoting anarchy & dictatorship ,shame to them
Mugabe and his family decided to go on vacation to celebrate the win.
Grace, his wife, John, his son and Sarah his daughter wanted to go to the Bahamas but Bob wanted to go to Dubai. So the 4 decided to vote and the result was as follows:
Bahamas: 3
Dubai: 68