Zim elections: West cannot have its cake and eat it

the President used that opportunity to inform the British government and its European Union counterparts that they would not be welcome to observe Zimbabwe’s forthcoming elections because of the illegal economic sanctions they imposed on the country.
President Mugabe is said to have told the British envoy, “We want observers who will not have any choice on who to assist. We abhor meddling in our own electoral affairs. Britain should not be involved in such a campaign whether in our favour as Zanu-PF or against us.”
In the EU, election observation is a vital activity as they say that it promotes democracy, human rights and the rule of law worldwide.
We welcome the President’s remark because it is about time that the Zimbabwean leadership made such a principled stand regarding election monitors and observers.
The West cannot have its cake and eat it.
The anomaly was that since they imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe a decade ago, sanctions aimed at effecting illegal regime change, they have been allowed to observe and monitor Zimbabwe’s election processes with impunity, and in all cases they have come up with the same conclusion – the elections were not free and fair.
Since 2000, pre-election violence has been used as one of the major factors to conclude that elections are not free and fair.
The electorate, which has been brutalised by the economic sanctions, has also been conducting elections on an uneven playing field.
Sanctions as a violent form of conducting free and fair elections have never been adequately critiqued since people have been hoodwinked into believing that sanctions were targeted at Zanu-PF cadres only.
Thus, sanctions have never been seen as a major pre-election violence instrument used by Western countries against the people of Zimbabwe.
Their interference in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs means that they have to recuse themselves, if they are serious about advancing democratic processes.
What President Mugabe said was nothing but a reminder.
He demonstrated that contrary to views held by some in the West and their local followers, he is willing to adhere to credible tests of democratic principles.
His remark speaks to the fact that despite its importance, it would be foolhardy for Zimbabweans to continue to allow people who dangle the carrot and stick on them to monitor their election process.
How objective would they be; and what standards would they use?
The hues and cry that followed this announcement go to show that people also have very short memories.
The first democratic elections held in 1980 were observed by various regional and international bodies under the ambit of the United Nations.
This is a track record that Zimbabwe is very proud of, a record that was unfortunately marred by external interference in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs by Western powers.
Not only has Britain, the EU and their allies imposed illegal economic sanctions, but they continue to interfere in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs by funding some political institutions such as the MDC.
It is an open secret that the MDC was funded by the Westminster Foundation 12 years ago.
Zimbabwe’s electoral laws forbid foreign funding, but the MDC has continued to receive funds channelled through some non-governmental and other civic organisations from the West, which have vested interests in the outcome of any electoral result.
However, the President’s statement should not be taken at face value. It is well known that Western governments are channelling their funding to opposition political parties through non-governmental organisations.
As a result, there has been a proliferation of NGOs most of them duplicating their functions and responsibilities.
They want the land reform programme reversed.
It is therefore imperative that Government comes up with clear guidelines where we will not see masked British, European and American observers coming through local NGOs they fund.
As much as Zimbabwe would want to ensure that it adheres to international principles and standards, it should not allow such an important system to be hijacked and flawed, by inviting people with vested interests in the final outcome of the election process.
If the West is not willing to lift the economic sanctions they imposed on Zimbabwe when it embarked on the land reform programme, they should also not have a say in its electoral system.