Call for peaceful Zim polls
2005-02-08 21:17
Harare - Zimbabwe's justice minister and the country's police chief on Tuesday strongly warned against political violence in the run-up to next month's parliamentary elections in the southern African country.
"Our problem with the election process has largely been with political violence, pre-election violence," said justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, who is also a ruling party MP.
The last parliamentary elections in 2000 and the 2002 presidential polls were marred by violence which the opposition blamed on government and ruling Zanu-PF supporters.
"I take this opportunity to send out a clear message and warning to would-be perpetrators of violence that we have a zero tolerance (policy) to political violence," said Chinamasa during a closing session of parliament before the March 31 polls.
"Any perpetrators will meet the full wrath of the law. There will be no excuses, no one to run to," Chinamasa warned.
Police chief, Augustine Chihuri also called on Tuesday on members of parliament and aspirants to campaign peacefully and observe the laws they make.
"Violence will not be allowed at any time now, during and after the elections since the duty of the police is to maintain law and order at all times in our society," Chihuri said.
MPs must respect law
"It is the MPs who make laws who are now seeking re-election in parliament while others want to be legislators for the first time.
"It is therefore important for them to be the first to respect the laws they make as they campaign," Chihuri said at a function to welcome back Zimbabwean police officers from a UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia.
Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
vice-president, Gibson Sibanda, also pleaded for peaceful election campaign.
"I would urge all the members to carry out their campaign in a peaceful manner," said Sibanda in his farewell speech at parliament.
2000 poll
The opposition claims scores of its members and sympathisers were killed by pro-government supporters in the run-up to the 2000 polls which western poll observers ruled not free and fair.
Zimbabwe's parliament, which is due to formally dissolve on March 30, a day before the elections, agreed to adjourn to April 5, to allow time to prepare for the vote.
Chinamasa told parliament "that for the first time we have had a formidable opposition in the form of the MDC".
In the 2000 elections, the MDC won 57 out of the 120 elected seats.