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Newly accredited US ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Bruce Wharton on Tuesday said as the country gears towards the 2013 harmonised presidential, parliamentary and council elections, Zimbabweans had the right to choose the leaders they desire to govern them through an election process free of external influence.
In making this statement, while addressing journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club, Mr Wharton said his government now understands that it has no mandate interfering in the internal politics of the country. So all along Washington thought it had the moral ground to get involved in Zimbabwean affairs? But on Tuesday Mr Wharton categorically stated that it was not the business of his country nor himself to be involved in the affairs of Zimbabwe.
The new US ambassador even conceded that Zimbabwean elections are run professionally and Washington stood ready to accept the outcome of the pending harmonised elections.
The United States, Britain, other members of the EU and their Western allies have in the past disputed the results of elections in Zimbabwe. They used the excuse in 2002 to impose sanctions on the country after President Mugabe had defeated their preferred candidate Mr Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC-T in the presidential elections.
“It is not the US business to become involved in the domestic political processes of the country. That is not my business but the business of Zimbabweans,” Ambassador Wharton boldly declared.
He said Zimbabwe had made a lot of progress and his government was prepared to accept the outcome of the 2013 polls even if President Mugabe and Zanu-PF win.
“If the elections are run fairly my government will support anyone who is chosen by the people, including President Mugabe,” said Ambassador Wharton.
As the US ambassador was making this undertaking his counterpart Mr Aldo Del Ariccia, the European Union Ambassador to Zimbabwe, was telling our sister paper The Herald, in a story that we also published, that his grouping will not interfere with Zimbabwe’s electoral processes “this time because the relations between the country and the bloc have improved”.
Mr Del Ariccia said there was no need for members of the EU bloc to be meddlesome. We hope the two diplomats are being sincere in their undertakings because their meddling in our affairs is the reason for some of the majority of the problems that we are facing in this country.
Mr Del Ariccia and Mr Wharton will also be the first ones to tell anyone who cares to listen that their own countries do not tolerate interference in their own internal affairs by anyone whomsoever.
The question we have to them is why have they been meddlesome in the past? It is that kind of interference that saw their countries and their Western allies impose illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe.
The choking sanctions are still in place right now placing a huge burden on our economy and social services sector.
It is desirable for the two ambassadors to make the undertakings they have just pledged. But we believe their countries could do more by lifting the illegal sanctions because they are an albatross around Zimbabwe.
The embargos are a form of interference in the internal processes in Zimbabwe because they are meant to effect regime change in the country by influencing the pattern of voting in our elections.
We have heard you Mr Del Ariccia and Mr Wharton but we feel you should walk the talk and lift the sanctions first. Only then will Zimbabwe fully embrace your gestures, which seem good but can only be said to be truly so if matched with action.
Online Reporter