Zimbabwe’s foreign minister Stan Mudenge said on Tuesday his ruling Zanu-PF party would not postpone parliamentary elections set for March next year.
Last week opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai lobbied both South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki and Mauritius premier Paul Berenger to have the polls postponed, saying there was insufficient time to prepare.
The MDC has also accuses the ruling Zanu-PF party of disregarding Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) election procedures.
Still, Zanu-PF strongman Mudenge said: ”It would be illegal to postpone the elections and we will be attacked for remaining in power without the people’s mandate.”
Under Zimbabwean law, parliamentary elections must be held by June next year.
Mudenge told ambassadors from the Non-Aligned Movement that the MDC had not made formal application to government for a deferment of polls.
Meanwhile Zimbabwe’s foreign minister slated the European Union (EU), accusing it of ”discrediting” next year’s elections.
”Right now as we speak, Holland will be moving a motion on behalf of the EU to condemn Zimbabwe in the United Nations General Assembly,” said Mudenge.
”This is based on reports that were made three years ago.”
Mudenge also criticised the MDC for claiming it had no access to public media when the Voice of America’s Studio Seven ”bombarded” Zimbabwe with anti-government propaganda.
Meanwhile, responding to questions about why the Zimbabwe government had ignored a court order barring last week’s deportation of visiting members of the Congress of SA Trade Unions, Mudenge said his government had not ignored the court order.
Instead, he claimed, the order had been issued after the deportation had taken place. – Sapa