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YCL: Send peacekeepers
31/03/2008 15:33 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Three members of the Young Communists League's Zimbabwean election observer team have returned early because of constant surveillance amounting to intimidation by Central Intelligence Officers (CIO).
In a statement on Monday, the league said three members returned early and one member - based in Bulawayo - had been interrogated by the CIO.
"This shows the level of intimidation that is still prevalent in Zimbabwe," it said.
However, the league said it was pleased that the Zimbabwe government had allowed its delegation to enter and leave the country without any major interference.
The league said it had found that conditions for a free and fair election were not evident.
Included in its reasons cited, the league said the state controlled media (the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the Herald newspaper) had openly campaigned for the President Robert Mugabe.
This was done by vilifying the opponents and giving more TV airtime and paper space to the Zanu-PF.
There was no voter education and voters rolls were not given to the opposition.
It also noted that people had voted in areas where they did not live and that the country's electoral commission was run by senior leaders of the Zanu-PF. Current results show MDC win The league said there was a fear of rigging the presidential vote as current electoral results - displayed outside the various polling stations - showed that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had won the election in all four categories of polling.
"The remaining result for the Presidential contest is reported to be in favour of Morgan Tsvangirai," it said.
"There is fear of rigging the Presidential leg, thus the delay of the announcement of the results."
It was further feared that a type of "Kenyan situation" would occur, should Mugabe "force his way back".
"And there is the fear about the army and police staging a coup if the opposition takes the Presidency." Send in peacekeepers
The YCL therefore called for the immediate deployment of SADC and United Nations peace keeping forces to avert any attempt towards "sinking" Zimbabwe into violence.
"This should serve as a post election process undertaken by all the parties involved in the elections and all the countries in the region," the league said.
- SAPA
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