Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition a time to act. Zimbabwe Civil society Demands Action From SADC

Staff Reporter

5 AUG 2010, 11:27

2 min read

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition a time to act
Zimbabwe Civil Society Demands Action From SADC

As African leaders prepare to meet at the SADC Summit in Windhoek this month from 15 to 17, they must draw concrete plans to prevent state-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe’s elections planned for 2011. Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition calls upon SADC and AU leaders, as guarantors of Zimbabwe’s Global Political Agreement (GPA), which created a transitional power-sharing government to:

Ensure that Zimbabwe fully complies with SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections – including impartiality of electoral institutions.

Bar Zimbabwe from taking up a position in the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security for the duration of the on-going mediation process in Zimbabwe to preserve the independence of the Organ. Even in Zimbabwe, a player for
one side cannot pull on a referee jersey.

Facilitate technical support to the newly appointed Zimbabwe Electoral Commission by more experienced regional electoral bodies such as the South African Electoral Commission.

Urge Zimbabwe to recognize the right of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to vote and put in place necessary administrative mechanisms to facilitate that vote.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition reiterates the message from Zimbabwean civil society leaders who travelled to Kampala, Uganda for the AU Summit from July 19 to 27, 2010 and called upon African leaders to ensure that Zimbabwe is
sufficiently prepared to hold credible, free and fair elections and that the AU stands ready for robust monitoring of those elections. The AU should actively promote democracy, peace and security in Zimbabwe and across Africa.

For more information please contact: coordinator@crisiszimbabwe.org; or visit our website: www.crisiszimbabwe.org
Mobile: +263 912 913 418. +263 4 704 418 mobile: +44 75 6403 4146.