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Zimbabwe Situation

Diaspora rejects rigged elections – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary: 2nd November 2013

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The Zimbabwean diaspora speaking from London has rejected the 31st July elections as rigged and has demanded new elections under international supervision after promised reforms have been made. It wants the opposition in Zimbabwe to resist Mugabe at every step and challenge him on issues such as the diaspora vote, dual nationality and the position of so-called aliens.

These decisions were made at a meeting of the bi-monthly Zimbabwe Action Forum after the Vigil. In attendance were members of a task force nominated at the ‘Restore Zimbabwe’ Conference held in London on 24th October. The Conference had been presented with the following resolutions: The Conference

1.     Rejects the 31st July elections as rigged

2.     Calls on the diaspora to unite in demanding new elections

3.     Condemns SADC for not ensuring the GPA was implemented

4.     Appeals to the AU to revisit its approach to the Zimbabwe crisis

5.     Urges South Africa not to support the Mugabe regime

6.     Advises the EU to continue the targeted sanctions against Mugabe and to expand them to include judges and officials of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission who have demonstrated bias for Zanu PF

7.     Demands the Zimbabwean opposition resist Mugabe at every step

8.     Asks the UK government not to send home failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers

Lack of time prevented them from being adopted at the Conference and so they were carried forward at the Zimbabwe Action Forum. All the resolutions were adopted with the addition of a resolution demanding that those in a position of authority should be held to account for their actions.

The meeting said options should be explored to challenge the validity of the elections and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission should be taken to court if it does not release the voters’ roll.

It urged the MDC-T to publish its dossier on the election rigging and, in line with suggestions from thematic groups set up at the Conference, it was agreed that the task force would collate evidence of election abuses and submit this evidence to the African Union. The AU has now published its report on the elections (see: AU final report on Zim poll reflects ‘solidarity of the African elite – http://www.zimbabwesituation.com/news/zimsit_au-final-report-on-zim-poll-reflects-solidarity-of-the-african-elite/). The Vigil thinks the AU report is disingenuous and the task force will appeal to the AU to look at all the evidence and not give up on the Zimbabwe crisis.

The protest to the AU will be followed by action on the other resolutions. This will include letters to SADC protesting at its failure to ensure that the GPA was implemented, to South Africa urging it not to support the Zimbabwe regime, to the EU calling for the targeted sanctions against Mugabe to be continued and expanded to include judges and officials of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. An appeal would be made to the UK government not to send home failed asylum seekers. For a full report of the ‘Restore Zimbabwe’ Conference (see: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/vigil-news/campaign-news/537-restore-zimbabwe-conference-london–thursday-24th-october-2013).

Other points

For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website. 

FOR THE RECORD: 31 signed the register.

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

 

Vigil co-ordinators

The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.

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