"BOYCOTTING THE JUNE 27 ELECTION IS ESSENTIAL" SAYS SOKWANELE!!!

Sokwanele - Enough is Enough - Zimbabwe PROMOTING NON-VIOLENT PRINCIPLES TO ACHIEVE DEMOCRACY

Boycotting the June 27 election is essential Sokwanele : 24 June 2008 "The June 27 Presidential election is not an election, but a declaration of war against the people of Zimbabwe by the ruling party." (SA Congress of Trade Unions statement 24/6/2008) This is an important call to all Zimbabweans from civil society - you must boycott the forthcoming election. Do Not Vote in the June 27 Presidential run-off election Robert Mugabe wants as many votes as he can get so that he can claim he is the "people's president". While it is clear that he will receive some votes and he has already secured the postal votes of the armed forces who were forced to vote for him, Mugabe will want to get substantially more votes than those cast for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai on March 29. We must not let this happen. The best action that we can all take to demonstrate that we refuse to accept Mugabe as our president for yet another five terrible years is to refuse to vote on Friday. If you are forced by government agents to vote, then make sure you spoil your paper. Do not vote the dictator back into power. However, please understand that we are not asking you to do anything that you think might endanger your safety or your life. In dangerous circumstances you must do whatever you need to do to keep yourself safe. The only people who should vote on Friday are those who have by-elections in their wards and will therefore be asked to vote twice. They should vote for the candidate of their choice for the House of Assembly seat but should hand in a spoilt ballot for the Presidential poll. The three wards where by-elections are being held are: 1. Bulawayo: Pelendaba/Mpopoma 2. Matabeleland South: Gwanda South 3. Midlands: Redcliff The claim that the election cannot be cancelled The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) states that the Presidential run-off election on June 27 cannot be called off despite the withdrawal of Morgan Tsvangirai in the face of escalating violence, intimidation and the disruption of his campaign . The ZEC cites Section 107 of Zimbabwe's Electoral Act which states that a nominated candidate may withdraw his candidature any time "before twenty-one days from the day …. on which the poll in an election to the office of President is to be taken". In other words, according to this interpretation of the electoral law, if Morgan Tsvangirai withdraws his name less than three weeks before the run-off - even if the conditions have made it impossible to continue with his campaign - the election still has to go ahead. This claim is countered by Tsvangirai and his legal team. In a letter sent to the chairman of the ZEC, Justice Chiweshe, on June 23, Tsvangirai notes that Section 107 of the Electoral Act deals with the withdrawal of candidature from a Presidential election. He points out that the 21-day requirement refers to a Presidential election and not to a run-off. He says it would not make sense to expect a candidate from a presidential run-off election to give 21 days notice of his/her withdrawal where such election has to be held within 21 days. He continues: "Section 107(3) makes it much clearer that Section 107 does not apply to a presidential run-off election. It provides that:- 'where a candidate for election as President has withdrawn his/her candidature in terms of this section, the sum deposited by or on his behalf in terms of subsection (1) of Section 105 shall be forfeited and form part of the funds of the commission'. Tsvangirai notes that no money was ever deposited for the Presidential run-off election in terms of Section 105 by any candidate. "Furthermore, there have been no rules prescribed for the conduct of a presidential run-off election and in particular the notice period set for the withdrawal of candidature by a participant. Accordingly, any candidate wishing to withdraw his candidature is free to do so at any time before such an election." A low poll for Mugabe will undermine his claims of legitimacy Should the ZEC insist on disputing the interpretation of Tsvangirai's legal team, there is a further issue that needs to be addressed. A Zimbabwean legal expert notes that the provision contained in Section 107 must be read together with the requirement that a Presidential candidate needs to obtain at least 50 percent of the vote. The intention behind the provision, he writes, is that it is necessary for a President to have substantial support from the people of Zimbabwe. The legislation therefore discourages Presidential candidates being elected by default or with only minority support from the electorate. He notes that, if Mugabe gets fewer votes on June 27 than Tsvangirai received on March 29, then Mugabe will still in theory be elected President, but his claims to legitimacy will be greatly undermined. And if very few people turn out to vote and Mugabe gets elected by a tiny minority, it will demonstrate that he has no legitimacy as the country's President. This is good news for all of the displaced people in Zimbabwe who have been concerned that they are not able to vote. And it is good news for the millions of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora who wanted to come home to support their families and communities by voting for change. Boycott by urban voters crucial One of the biggest challenges we face is that Zanu PF will no doubt try to exaggerate the numbers of people who have turned out to vote in remote rural polling stations where there are no election observers. To counter this problem, people in the urban areas must do all within their power to make sure that the polling stations are absolutely deserted. They must turn Friday's election into a referendum against Mugabe's misrule. If anyone is forced to go and vote, please make sure you spoil your ballot paper. Why Tsvangirai withdrew from the run-off The MDC won the March 29 elections, in spite of all the challenges they faced: the March 11 beatings, the continuous attacks on organisations like the National Constitutional Assembly, election rigging, the banning of rallies early on, vote buying, the withholding of food aid and all of the other Zanu PF strategies. It was a victory for peace, democratic change and the rebuilding of our country. The Mugabe regime was furious and since then has declared war on the people of Zimbabwe. A free and fair election was not possible then and is totally impossible now. There are numerous reasons, but these are the main ones: 1. State-sponsored violence: The police are intimidated and have failed to protect the people of Zimbabwe. Under the direction of the Joint Operations Command, the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), Zanu PF youths and the youth militia are waging a terror campaign. 2. MDC Presidential candidate's campaign: Rallies have been banned and the MDC President has been arrested on an ongoing basis. 3. Decimation of MDC Structures: There has been a deliberate campaign to destroy the leadership and structures of the MDC. Secretary General Tendai Biti and MP Advocate Matinenga are illegally detained and over 2 000 MDC supporters, including polling agents, are in illegal detention. 4. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is partisan: The ZEC is now staffed by "war veterans" and Zanu PF militia. It is not in charge of the management of this election. 5. The media: The media is under attack and there has been a total blackout of the MDC's campaign. Journalists are being harassed and foreign journalists have been banned from entering the country. 6. The Zanu PF Presidential candidate: Robert Mugabe has no respect for the MDC, for election observers or for the regional and international community. He has declared war by saying that the bullet has replaced the ballot. Chiwenga and Zimondi have stated they will not respect an MDC victory. 7. Planned election rigging by Zanu PF: An elaborate and decisive plan by Zanu PF to rig the election has been exposed. Why Mugabe and Zanu PF want to continue with the election and retain power First of all, the Mugabe regime wants the world to believe that everything in Zimbabwe is normal and that the elections are legitimate. Secondly, if they lose power, they will lose the vast sums of money that they have stolen from the country over the years - money that has made them immensely rich and the citizens of Zimbabwe desperately poor. Their greed has wrecked the entire economy of our once stable and prosperous country. Thirdly, when the change comes, they are afraid they will be tried for their crimes, notably for crimes against humanity. Why we can now count on the support of the world The Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) have all supported Tsvangirai's call to withdraw from the election. Zambian President Dr Levy Mwanawasa, who is also SADC chairman, said: "The current political situation in Zimbabwe falls far short of the SADC principles." He said that the June 27 presidential run-off election should be postponed to avert a catastrophe in southern Africa. Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos urged Mugabe to "embrace a spirit of tolerance and respect for democratic norms", while at the same time appealing for an end to all acts of intimidation and violence. Graca Machel, Joaquim Chissano, Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu are among forty former African presidents, prime ministers, civil society heads and other high profile leaders who have called for an end to political violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said: "I think this is an embarrassment to Africa because it makes a sham of presidential elections… the time has come for the international community to act on Zimbabwe." The United Nations Security Council: On 24 June, the UN Security Council issued a statement condemning the campaign of violence against the political opposition which had resulted in the killing of scores of opposition activists and other Zimbabweans, and the beating and displacement of thousands of people, including many women and children. Their statement gave legitimacy to the March 29 poll and noted that the results must be respected. It also condemned the government's suspension of the operations of humanitarian organisations, noting this had directly affected one and a half million people, including half a million children. Not only was the statement adopted unanimously, but the Zimbabwean crisis will remain on the Security Council agenda. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters after a meeting with the 15-nation Security Council on Monday that he "strongly discouraged" the Zimbabwean government from pressing ahead with a run-off election this week. I would like to take this moment to say how distressed I am by the events leading up to the understandable decision of …. Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the run-off scheduled for this Friday," he said. "There has been too much violence and too much intimidation, a vote held under these conditions would lack all legitimacy." The powerful South African Congress of Trade Unions (COSATU) has called on "the South African government, SADC governments, African governments and the world not to recognise Mugabe's illegal government all over the world and to refuse to have any dealings with Mugabe other than ensuring that he work towards new elections strictly under the conditions of total observance of the SADC protocols. Furthermore, planned actions by COSATU include mobilising for a blockade - a powerful reminder that Zimbabwe needs the co-operation of neighbours like South Africa to survive. It is clear that the world has the deepest respect for the courage of Zimbabweans in the face of disgraceful violence and repression. Pressure is mounting from the African continent and from the international community. The United Nations Security Council is fully briefed on the crisis and is in possession of documents that are damning to the Mugabe regime. There is now no place for them to hide. We call upon the people of Zimbabwe to make yet another brave stand and to ensure that the world hears their silent but powerful protest: DO NOT GO TO VOTE ON FRIDAY JUNE 27 [for full text on Morgan Tsavangirai's letter, The UN Security Council statement, and the ANC statement on Zimbabwe, please email documents@sokwanele.com where you will receive an automated email with these texts.] Subscribe to receive mailings by sending an email to elections2008@sokwanele.com. You can also subscribe yourselves automatically via our website at the following address: www.sokwanele.com/join.html. 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