By Delicious Mathuthu
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Hon. Ziyambi Ziyambi has chided preliminary reports by external observer missions from the European Union (EU), African Union (AU), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (ECOWAS) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), saying their preliminary statements sound like a script from the main opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Despite the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), responsible for running Zimbabwean elections being an independent body, the Legal Affairs Minister, Hon. Ziyambi jumped to its defense saying the mandate of foreign observer missions is not to collect election related grievances but limited to fact finding on the specific poll.
He said the preliminary statements by the missions are inaccurate and a misrepresentation of ZEC.
“This press conference has been set to enable Government an opportunity to respond to shocking inaccuracies and misrepresentations of the state of our democratic institutions, our laws and the conduct of our 23-24 August election by some election observer missions.
“However, it is disappointing apparent that some of the reports read like a script from one of the election contenders as there appears to be a wholesome adoption of their position as an established fact.
“There is a striking resemblances in diction and nuances between certain reports and this cannot be by coincidence,” Minister Ziyambi said.
He demanded for a favourable report and progressive comments
which he said would strengthen Zimbabwe’s systems, institutions and processes.
Hon. Ziyambi said the observer missions deviate from their defined mandate and their code.
He said because there was no violence during the election, the plebiscite should be declared credible.
“We are a very peaceful and secure country. Indeed, peace is an essential ingredient of any credible elections. The Second Republic has always reiterated the importance of maintaining peace before, during and after the elections.
“It is Government’s view that once a finding of peace has been made, this should be adequate to render the election credible,” he said.
On delimitation grievances of wards and constituencies that were also challenged in the courts, Hon. Ziyambi said the process was not subject to observation by invited election observers.
He also defended the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and ZANU PF on the banning of opposition rallies.
“The police have provided statistics relating to the rallies they did not authorize.
“This shows that ZANU-PF had more rallies banned than any other party contesting elections including the CCC. This information is in the public domain,” he said.
He also dismissed concerns on the repressiveness of the Patriotic Act.
“The so-called Patriotic Act does not in any manner infringe on the freedom of expression but simply criminalizes willful injury of the sovereignty and national interest of Zimbabwe.
“This law compares favourably with similar legislation, not only in the region but the world over. In any event our law provides for the Constitutional challenge against any legislation which is ultravires the Constitution.
“The said piece of legislation is valid and cannot be expunged to suit individual aspirations.” He said.
On the hiking of nomination fees, none of the candidates approached the courts to challenge the quantum of fees, Minister Ziyambi said, with the only legal
challenge to do with the
procedural aspects regarding the enactment of the legislation, and women were not affected by the fee hike as the missions said.
“… we tend to disagree with the assumption that the (low) number could have been influenced by the high nomination fees since women are equally empowered within our system and have equal access to resources.
“For the record, let me state that under the second republic we have made several interventions to enhance the political participation of women including the amendment of our Constitution to extend the women’s quota,” he said.
Hon. Ziyambi also dismissed allegations of a biased judiciary, intimidation of postal voters as well as a biased state media coverage.
“It is not Government business to mobilise political players to present themselves and their work to the media.
“It is on record that some political parties were not cooperating with the state media,” he said.
On election day, Hon. Ziyambi said ZEC encountered some unforeseen challenges to which they gave prompt attention.
This is contrary to what the missions were told by ZEC prior to the elections, that 98% of the poling stations had received their materials.
After demanding factual reporting and not speculations regarding the situation on the ground, in the same statement, the Minister proceeds to speculate on private conversations between one of the observers and the main opposition party.
“It is worth noting that a video was circulating with a member of an observer mission handing a note to CCC Presidential Candidate and we are not aware of the contents of such notes.
“In the absence of an explanation, we are only left to speculate on the contents of the note thereof,” he said.
Minister Ziyambi also said by this, Zimbabwe’s democracy has been attacked by those who imposed sanctions on the country.
“It is also my grave concern that the EU has also heavily relied on what appears to be the position of the CCC in attacking our democracy, our laws and our sovereignty.
“When we state that we are an enemy of none, it does not mean that we are blind to the machinations of some elements that have imposed sanctions on us,” he said.
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