Home Tags Posts tagged with "robert mugabe"
robert mugabe
Roy Bennett, a leading Zimbabwe opposition figure, has called for a campaign of “passive resistance” after election results showed President Robert Mugabe’s party had won a large majority in parliament.
Roy Bennett, treasurer of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said people should force Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF to “rule by themselves”.
The MDC has already said it will not recognize the results, alleging fraud.
It comes as the party holds emergency meetings to discuss the outcome.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) earlier said Zanu-PF had won 137 seats in the 210-seat chamber – just short of two-thirds – with most seats declared.
Results in the presidential race have yet to be announced.
PM Morgan Tsvangirai, who heads the MDC and is running for president against Robert Mugabe, has already dismissed the election as “a sham”.
Amid rising tension, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on President Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai to send “clear messages of calm”to their supporters.
His spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said Ban Ki-moon wanted any election disputes to be handled “transparently and fairly”.
The MDC was believed to be holding talks on Friday and Saturday to decide on a response to the results.
Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC has already said it will not recognize the election results, alleging fraud
Its treasurer Roy Bennett said there should be a wave of social disobedience in order to bring the regime to a halt.
“I’m calling on the people of Zimbabwe, who are our constituents and who we represent in the positions we hold, for passive resistance and for total disengagement,” he said.
“And let Zanu-PF rule and rule by themselves and bring the country to a standstill.”
Morgan Tsvangirai, 61, earlier said the vote was “null and void”.
A local monitoring group has also said that the poll was “seriously compromised”.
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) – the largest group of domestic monitors with some 7,000 people on the ground – said as many as one million people had been unable to cast their ballots.
It said voting irregularities were much more likely to affect urban areas, where support for Morgan Tsvangirai is strong, than in President Robert Mugabe’s rural strongholds.
However, the two main observer groups have broadly endorsed the election, saying it was free and peaceful.
African Union (AU) mission head Olusegun Obasanjo dismissed the complaints of fraud, saying the election was fair and free “from the campaigning point of view”.
He acknowledged incidents “that could have been avoided and even tended to have breached the law” but added: “We do not believe that these incidences [incidents] will amount to the result not representing the will of the people.”
Meanwhile, monitors from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) described the elections as “free and peaceful” but said it was too early to call them fair.
South Africa became the latest country to endorse the result, challenging critics to provide evidence of vote-rigging.
Zanu-PF and the MDC have formed an uneasy coalition government since 2009. That deal ended deadly violence that erupted after a disputed presidential poll the previous year.
Robert Mugabe is running for a seventh term.
If Zanu-PF clinches a two-thirds majority it will be able to change Zimbabwe’s constitution.
Under Zimbabwean law, seven days are set aside for legal challenges with another two days for rulings to be made. After that, the swearing-in of a new government takes place.
[youtube wGTYfbezyv8]
[youtube wjyXgLu5810]
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe’s party has won a two-thirds majority in parliament in this week’s elections, officials say.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said that Zanu-PF had won 142 seats in the 210-seat chamber.
Analysts say the result is enough for Zanu-PF to change the constitution. Results in the presidential race have yet to be announced.
Earlier, the two main observer groups said voting had been free and peaceful.
African Union mission head Olusegun Obasanjo dismissed complaints of fraud, while another observer urged all parties to “accept the hard facts”.
Robert Mugabe’s party has won a two-thirds majority in parliament in this week’s elections
PM Morgan Tsvangirai, who is challenging Robert Mugabe in the presidential race, has described the election as a “huge farce”.
A local monitoring group has also said that the poll was “seriously compromised”.
Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have formed an uneasy coalition government since 2009.
That deal ended deadly violence that erupted after a disputed presidential poll the previous year.
Before the latest results were announced, Zanu-PF spokesman Rugaro Gumbo predicted that Robert Mugabe, 89, – who is running for a seventh term – would get at least 70% of the vote in the presidential poll.
“We are expecting a landslide victory,” he was quoted as saying in Zimbabwe’s state-run Herald newspaper.
[youtube fQ7JImgggyI]
Zimbabwean presidential and parliamentary elections were “free, honest and credible”, the African Union observer mission’s head has said.
Olusegun Obasanjo said the incidents reported during Wednesday’s poll could not “change the outcome”.
The largest observer group said earlier the poll was “seriously compromised”.
President Robert Mugabe’s party is claiming victory in the election, which was rejected as a “huge farce” by PM Morgan Tsvangirai.
On Wednesday, voters were choosing a president, 210 lawmakers and local councilors. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has five days to declare who won the poll.
First official results from national assembly elections show that Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party is taking an early lead. However, the seats announced were mostly in Robert Mugabe’s rural strongholds, correspondents say.
Zanu-PF spokesman Rugaro Gumbo predicted that Robert Mugabe – who is running for a seventh term – would get at least 70% of the vote in the presidential poll.
“We are expecting a landslide victory,” he was quoted as saying in Zimbabwe’s state-run Herald newspaper.
Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have shared an uneasy coalition government since 2009 under a deal brokered to end the deadly violence that erupted after a disputed presidential poll the previous year.
Speaking in the capital Harare on Friday, Olusegun Obasanjo said the elections were fair and free “from the campaigning point of view”.
First official results from national assembly elections show that Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party is taking an early lead
The former Nigerian president admitted that there were “incidents that could have been avoided”, but he stressed that the AU observers did not believe they could change the overall outcome of the poll.
His assessment sharply contrasted to that by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) – the largest group of domestic monitors.
It said on Thursday that the elections were “seriously compromised”, with as many as a million people being unable to cast their ballots.
The ZESN said potential voters were much more likely to be turned away from polling stations in urban areas, where support for Morgan Tsvangirai is strong, than in Robert Mugabe’s rural strongholds.
The group also alleged significant registration irregularities before the poll.
But speaking to al-Jazeera, Olusegun Obasanjo questioned ZESN’s conclusions, describing them as “not verifiable”.
He said he was satisfied that the apparent anomalies between registration between urban and rural voters mentioned by ZESN had been explained by the registrar-general, who had the accurate figures for birth and death.
Olusegun Obasanjo also said that Morgan Tsvangirai’s camp should have addressed concerns about the electoral roll before the vote – not after.
On Thursday, Morgan Tsvangirai said the elections were “null and void”.
“Our conclusion is that this has been a huge farce. The credibility of this election has been marred by administrative and legal violations which affected the legitimacy of its outcome.
“It’s a sham election that does not reflect the will of the people.”
Another observer mission – the Southern African Development Community – is expected to give its verdict on the elections later on Friday.
It is illegal to publish unofficial election results in Zimbabwe. Police have warned they would take action against anyone trying to leak early results.
Extra units – some in riot gear – have now been deployed in Harare.
Under the electoral law, if no presidential candidate gains 50% of the ballots, a run-off will be held on September 11.
[youtube 8RFSTXbfPpg]
Zimbabwean presidential election was a “huge farce”, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said, alleging vote-rigging by rival President Robert Mugabe’s camp.
At a news conference, Morgan Tsvangirai said that Wednesday’s poll was “null and void”.
The largest observer group earlier said up to a million people were prevented from voting.
Robert Mugabe’s party – which is claiming a victory – denied the accusations, saying the voting went smoothly.
It is illegal to publish unofficial results.
Vote counting started overnight, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has five days to declare who won the poll.
Police have warned they would take action against anyone trying to leak early results. Extra units – some in riot gear – have now been deployed in the capital, Harare.
African regional observers have praised the peaceful nature of the election.
Speaking at his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) headquarters in Harare, Morgan Tsvangirai said: “In our view, that election is null and void.”
“It’s a sham election that does not reflect the will of the people.”
Morgan Tsvangirai spoke shortly after the monitors from the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) said the poll was “seriously compromised”.
In a statement, the ZESN said that potential voters were turned away from 82% of polling stations in urban areas, where support for Morgan Tsvangirai is strong.
In rural areas – seen as strongholds of President Robert Mugabe – the percentage was less than half that, the group added.
On Wednesday, villagers, MDC polling agents and the ZESN said there had been voting irregularities in rural parts of Masvingo province.
Vote counting started overnight, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has five days to declare who won the poll
They said local traditional leaders and village heads had lined up people, forcibly marched them to the polling stations and given them voting numbers as if to cross-check who they had voted for.
They also allege that in these areas some literate people were forced to pretend they could not read or write and were assisted to cast their vote in favor of Zanu-PF.
Zanu-PF spokesman Psychology Maziwisa denied that many voters had been deliberately prevented from registering.
He admitted that there were some irregularities, but stressed that both main parties had been affected.
“You’ve got to bear in mind that that was partly due to the fact that resources were not being made available by the finance minister who is Tendai Biti, who comes from the Movement for Democratic Change party,” he said.
“If you look at the Zimbabwean situation you can only come to one conclusion. And that is that over the last four years we’ve made a lot of effort to make this environment in Zimbabwe as conducive as it possibly can [be] for an election that is free and fair.”
Robert Mugabe, 89, has pledged to step down after 33 years in power if he and his party lost.
President Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC have shared an uneasy coalition government since 2009 under a deal brokered to end the deadly violence that erupted after a disputed presidential poll the previous year.
The first round of the 2008 poll was also praised for being peaceful – trouble broke out after the results were announced, with Morgan Tsvangirai gaining more votes than Robert Mugabe.
On Tuesday, the MDC accused Zanu-PF of doctoring the roll of registered voters, which was released by the ZEC only on the eve of the polls after weeks of delay.
The MDC claimed the roll dated back to 1985 and was full of anomalies.
It appears the document features the names of thousands of dead people.
MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti said there were as many as two million such names, while some genuine voters were not on the rolls.
The MDC has already handed its evidence to observers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
But a senior Zanu-PF member has denied the allegations, saying that appointees from both parties were in the electoral commission.
In addition to Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, there are three other candidates standing for the presidency: Welshman Ncube, leader of the breakaway MDC-Mutambara; Dumiso Dabengwa of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu), and Kisinoti Munodei Mukwazhe, who represents the small Zimbabwe Development Party (ZDP).
To be declared a winner, a presidential candidate must win more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate reaches this mark, a run-off will be held on September 11.
The elections were the first to be held under the new constitution approved in a referendum in March this year.
On Wednesday, voters were also electing the country’s new parliament.
[youtube A6-DEN33DdA]
Zimbabwe is voting in fiercely contested presidential and parliamentary elections which have already been hit by fraud allegations.
President Robert Mugabe, 89, has said he will step down after 33 years in power if he and his Zanu-PF party lose.
PM Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have accused Zanu-PF of doctoring the electoral roll, a charge it has denied.
Campaigning was mostly peaceful, with few reports of intimidation.
Zanu-PF and the MDC have shared an uneasy coalition government since 2009 under a deal brokered to end the deadly violence that erupted after a disputed presidential poll the previous year.
Morgan Tsvangirai won the most votes in the first round, but pulled out of the run-off with Robert Mugabe because of attacks on his supporters.
The government has barred Western observers from monitoring Wednesday’s elections, but the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as local organizations, have been accredited.
Polls opened at 07:00 local time and are due to close at 19:00.
The turnout is expected to be high among the 6.4 million people registered to vote, with tens of thousands of people attending rallies in recent weeks. Results are expected within five days.
Zimbabwe is voting in fiercely contested presidential and parliamentary elections which have already been hit by fraud allegations
Wednesday has been declared a national holiday to ensure people can vote. Despite this, voters queued for several hours outside polling stations across the country before they opened.
At a news conference at State House on Tuesday, Robert Mugabe was asked if he and Zanu-PF would accept defeat.
“If you go into a process and join a competition where there are only two outcomes, win or lose, you can’t be both. You either win or lose. If you lose, you must surrender,” he said.
But Morgan Tsvangirai dismissed the president’s remarks.
“He does not believe in the right of the people to choose. He does not believe he can be voted out of office,” he said.
The 61 year old has vowed to push Robert Mugabe into retirement; it is his third attempt to unseat him.
An MDC spokesman said separately that the party was only prepared to accept the results of the elections if they were “free and fair”.
On Tuesday, the MDC accused Zanu-PF of doctoring the roll of registered voters, which was released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) only on the eve of the polls after weeks of delay.
The MDC claimed the roll dated back to 1985 and was full of anomalies.
It appears the document features the names of thousands of dead people and many names with the same address appear two or three times.
A Zanu-PF spokesman denied the allegations and pointed out that appointees from both parties were on the ZEC. He also accused Finance Minister Tendai Biti, a member of the MDC, of not funding the commission properly. The ZEC has not commented.
In addition to Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, there are three other candidates standing for the presidency – Welshman Ncube, leader of the breakaway MDC-Mutambara; Dumiso Dabengwa of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu), and Kisinoti Munodei Mukwazhe, who represents the small Zimbabwe Development Party (ZDP).
To be declared a winner, a presidential candidate must win more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate reaches this mark, a run-off will be held on September 11.
The elections will be the first to be held under the new constitution approved in a referendum in March this year.
[youtube o6b4ni_OJJw]
Zimbabwe starts voting in key referendum on a new constitution, amid simmering political tensions.
Both main parties – Zanu-PF and the MDC – are urging their supporters to back the constitution, which would pave way for new elections later this year.
The polls could end a shaky power-sharing deal between the rival parties following a disputed vote in 2008.
Campaigning for the referendum was marred by an attack on an MDC politician in the capital, Harare.
Sten Zvorwadza, who hopes to become the next Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) lawmaker for the city’s Mbare suburb, was punched as he tried to put up posters on Friday.
Although no-one was seriously injured, the incident is a reminder of the violence lurking close to the surface in Zimbabwe.
On Tuesday, a Zanu-PF official was injured after his house was petrol-bombed by unknown assailants in Makoni district, in north-eastern Zimbabwe.
And in February, the 12-year-old son of an MDC activist died in an alleged arson attack in the eastern farming district of Headlands.
Polls across Zimbabwe opened at 07:00 local time and are due to close at 19:00.
Zimbabwe starts voting in key referendum on a new constitution, amid simmering political tensions
In Mbare, the scene of Friday’s violence, more than 100 people were queuing outside a polling station as it opened, Reuters news agency reports.Under the new constitution, the president who wins the election, expected to be held in July, will be able to serve a maximum of two terms.Incumbent President Robert Mugabe, who has the backing of Zanu-PF, and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is currently serving as prime minister, are both expected to compete for the presidency again.
Robert Mugabe, 89, has been in power since independence in 1980.
Zanu-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said the president wanted people to vote peacefully.
“He said we should not have violence and added that the party will not tolerate that nonsense whether it is intra-party or inter-party. He wants the people to vote in peace,” Zimbabwe’s state-run Herald newspaper quotes Rugare Gumbo as saying.
Analysts say the constitution is seen as a compromise document.
Western and US observers have been barred from monitoring the referendum, but some 2,000 local and other foreign observers have been accredited for Saturday’s vote, the Herald reports.
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), a network of 31 non-government organizations whose head office was raided by police in February, is deploying about 600 observers.
[youtube r4Z8-CupMFs]
Thousands of people have attended a lavish party to celebrate Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe’s 89th birthday in the mining town of Bindura.
Robert Mugabe was presented with a cake said to weigh 89 kg (196 lb), and gold coins were minted to mark the occasion.
The celebrations cost about $600,000, reports say.
In his speech, Robert Mugabe – who has ruled since 1980 – denied claims that he was trying to intimidate political rivals ahead of a new election.
Robert Mugabe will be contesting the election later this year, hoping to secure another five-year term in office.
The day before of the celebrations in Bindura, residents were given an hour off work to clean the town’s streets.
Wearing an elegant suit and a red cap with his year of birth, Robert Mugabe waved to the crowds, flanked by his wife and two children.
He later cut the birthday cake and released 89 balloons into the sky.
Robert Mugabe also urged his supporters to go “forward with winning elections, down with imperialism”.
Thousands of people have attended a lavish party to celebrate Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe’s 89th birthday in the mining town of Bindura
Robert Mugabe’s actual birthday was nine days ago, but this weekend was the chance for his supporters to celebrate.
Zimbabwe is now moving towards a crucial period of political transition.
Robert Mugabe adds that a referendum on a new constitution will precede the presidential elections.
The polls would herald the end of a shaky government coalition between Robert Mugabe and his rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
The coalition between Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party was formed under pressure from regional leaders after the disputed 2008 election.
Prev12Page 2 of 2
