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unedited-and verbatim: Debate on Zimbabwe by Pan African Parliament-Snippets as they are happening now-unedited |
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There was a general agreement that the Pan African Parliament must condemn what the authorities in Zimbabwe are doing against the people and against the will of the people by refusing to honour the results of the elections.
A Mali delegate scorns Mugabe saying the problems there are local. He said Zimbabwe gave Africa hope at Independence in 1980 after fighting together with Joshua Nkomo.
The mali delegate took a Z$10 million note and was derisive when he pronounced it can't even buy a loaf of bread.
Another Mozambiquan delegate said multi-party politics is the way to go.
She said the reports on Kenya and Zimbabwe show clearly the abuse of power by those exercising it.
The Mozambiquan delegate said it was the duty of Africans to prevent loss of life in Zimbabwe.
One voice one Africa, she said.
One delegate said the decision to send a PAP mission to both Kenya and Zimbabwe was important. The delegate went to Zimbabwe to observe the elections.
She said she congratulated the Zimabweans for having been so peaceful.
"We are concerned with the fact the publication of the results were delayed. We don't even know if there is going to be a run off.
"The fact that there were no Western observaors is wrong. I'm against Afro pessimism. I have never heard a country in Europe which says the elections were not free and fair because there were no African observers.
"With regard to Kenya, I would liek to congratulate the people of Kenya for finding the way to their problems. I also want to congratulate Kofi Annan for being a good mediator.
Zimbabweans must find the solution to their problems now. Peace is important.
"Africans are human beings with maturity. Africans can solve their own problems. As far as Kenya is concerned we are discouraged. When he came into power he should have left power properly as expected. But he didn't.
Algerian delegate: President Mugabe is no longer seen as a liberator. He should allow for the electoral process to carry forward. South Africa has tried its best to help the Zimbabwe situation but President Mbeki has disappointed us. Had he handled things in a positive way there would not have been drama. On Zimbabwe the elections were lost by the ruling party. This is clinging to power. The future is not bright. We see regression in Zimbabwe and Kenya.
A different delegate took the podium.
The delegate from Senegal: Taking into consideration importance of elections the African Charter must provide for a minimum code of conduct. The two PAP missions were they independent or worked with local groups? We would like to know if PAP delegations worked with particular groups in Zimbabwe and Kenya?
My second question is that we are told the conditions were sufficient to hold free and fair elections in both Zimbabwe and Kenya. I don't agree. In Kenya groups were not allowed to register as candidates. That is not a condition conducive to elections. We cannot declare conditions as having been free and fair.
We would like to know if parties had equal footing until the release of results. About the visibility, we also have to talk about the cost factor.
The Tanzanian delegate took the podium:
We have been told if we remove small problems, here and there the elections could be called free and fair.
On Zimbabwe we are told the elections will be repeated. This is a problem. We are honouring the wishes of the butchers.
Congolese delegate suggested recommendations to the AU should be profound, coherent and transparent.
In elections we have to reassure actors with regard to actions, and electoral process. As the PAP is concerned we can see our missions are more and more able to do what they should do. But we have a cost problem. We try to be effective.
Taking into account of the critical situation in which Zimbabwe is, very often the West is interfering perhaps impeding he country we should assist the Zimbabwean people in danger. We have to make sure that if there is a transition that it be smooth. We as a Pan African Parliament have to consider the Zimbabwean citizens situation.
A Kenyan delegate said obsevers must go to countries two weeks before.
Had they gone to Kenya two weeks before they should have seen what was happening. We saw what was happening with ECK. There was politics of ethnicity which says there is a red flag. Violence was perptuated against women candidates. It was immoral. If observers are going to be effective they must be given more time. We say Kenya is a success story, I wish it was a sucess story because of the African people and not because of the Americans and British pressure. Unfortunately he pressure from outside did it for us. We as a continent are silent as Zimbabwean leaders hold their counry hostage. We must cry out. Why are we silent on Zimbabwe. I am appealing that we start breeding a new crop of leadership in Africa. We can't allow out countries to be held hostage by people with precolonial mentallities.
Congolese delegate:
Thwe sovereignity of our nations resides in our people. hat is why we have elections. Perhaps that is why we must tell our presidents that every person of a voting age has the right to vote and be voted for. Elections are a means to give the people a means of giving their people the right to decide who should be at the helm, who is going to determine your fate in your country. Any president who doesn;t respect the will of the people is qualified to be described as anti-people and at best dictatorial.
Isn't good for a leader, an elected leader at that, to stand on a roof top that no leader of the opposition can be in charge of the country, forgetting that he came in through the will of the people.
Sierra Leone delegate:
Intellectual leaders and business people take whatever is there. They are not ahsmaed of the poor people. Of all the people who are killed you find not an intellectual or a business man but poor people. Intellectuals and businesmen are overseases. You always finsd that the children of these people have children overseas and they come back to take over the power.
In Sierra Leone we fought each other and we are now working together.
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Wednesday, 07 May, 2008
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