No elections without credible reforms, Zimbabwe CSOs urge AU

ETHIOPIA – Zimbabwe Civil society organisations who are on a regional advocacy blitzkrieg in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia have urged the African Union (AU) to exert pressure on Zimbabwe to implement critical and credible reforms before the watershed elections expected to be held after the adoption of a new constitution.

The revelations were made at a Discussion Forum focussing on the forthcoming watershed elections in Zimbabwe held under the theme ‘the African Union- enforcing implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA)’ on Monday, May 20 at Radisson Blu Hotel in Central Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Presenting the Briefing paper to regional civil society representatives and Journalists at Radisson Blu Hotel in Central Addis, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Spokesperson and Bulawayo Agenda Director, Mr Thabani Nyoni told the gathering that he hoped that civil society in Africa will be able to help Zimbabwe hold credible, peaceful, free and fair elections.

“We are here in Addis Ababa, the Capital City of Africa to raise our concerns as civil society in view of the pending watershed harmonised elections. You are our brothers and sisters and we are confident that your voice will put pressure on our leaders to insist on the implementation of reforms which will enable Zimbabwe to hold credible elections”, Nyoni Appealed.

“ We would like to take advantage of the AU Summit to highlight the good work the AU has done to bring peace and stability in Zimbabwe”, Crisis Spokesperson added.

Mr Nyoni informed participants that Zimbabweans were concerned that if reforms as stipulated in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) are not implemented, Zimbabwe risked skidding back to social, economic and political retrogression.

“It is against this background that SADC and AU as the guarantors of the GPA are urged to adopt a more pro-active role in ensuring the implementation of the said reforms, and other measures that have been mooted by SADC through several resolutions and at other fora”, emphasised Nyoni.

A participant from Kenya asked why Zimbabwe did not allow the Diaspora to vote in the March 16 Referendum since there was a standing African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) decision which directed Zimbabwe to allow its citizens living abroad to vote during March 16 Constitution referendum and elections expected later in 2013.

In response, Mr Nyoni told the participants that the failure by the Government of Zimbabwe to comply with ACHPR decisions was a clear indication that Zimbabwe needs to be incubated by SADC and the AU in order to deliver a credible election.

“The non-compliance by Zimbabwe is one of the reasons why we are here in Addis Ababa as Civil Society to urge the AU to put pressure on its member state to comply both with its own agreements and those made by SADC and AU”, Nyoni said.

A Zimbabwe Embassy representative, who also attended the Discussion Forum, Mr Machigere claimed that as a Government they had not yet received communication from the African Commission.

Ms. Roselyn Hanzi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and a prominent Human Rights Lawyer dismissed the Government of Zimbabwe’s assertion and said that it was one of the strategies used by Zimbabwe to evade compliance.

“It is disheartening that the Government of Zimbabwe expressed ignorance despite the fact that this decision was made by the ACPHR having heard civil society and government representatives during the hearing of the petition submitted by Civil society on behalf of Zimbabwe citizens living in the Diaspora in March 2013.This only helps in exposing their bag of tricks which they often use to maliciously and clandestinely evade important decisions which have a bearing on the future of Zimbabwe”. Hanzi quipped.

Civil Society from Kenya urged Zimbabweans to learn from the recently concluded Kenyan elections.

“Kenya held national elections in April 2013 to bring to an end a government of National Unity which was a product of a disputed election in 2007. Unfortunately the 2013 election brought about another disputed election as it was pregnant with irregularities and allegations of vote manipulation. Zimbabwe must learn to put in place mechanisms which will guarantee a free and fair election to avoid bloodbath”.

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Spokesperson urged the AU to urgently deploy its observer mission in order to ensure the smooth conduct of elections in Zimbabwe.

“In the spirit of democracy, peace and stability in the region in general and Zimbabwe in particular, we directly appeal to the AU in its capacity as the Guarantor of the GPA to urgently deploy its election observer mission to Zimbabwe so as to comprehensively observe the whole electoral process”, Mr Nyoni concluded.

The Discussion forum was attended by members of Civil Society from Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and Ethiopia.

The 23rd ordinary session of the Executive Council is expected to meet at the AU headquarters from 22- 23 May in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. The session is being held as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the African Union which will be held on the 25th of May, 2013 under the theme ‘Pan Africanism and the renaissance’.

The Civil society regional Advocacy mission comprises of representatives from ZESN, ZLHR, MMPZ, Bulawayo Agenda and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition.