Mujuru says, 'Zimbabwe elections in shambles'

PEOPLE'S Rainbow Coalition (PRC) presidential candidate Joice Mujuru has called on all regional and international observers in the country to help ensure that next week's general elections were held in a credible and transparent manner to avoid a disputed outcome.

Mujuru, in a statement released by her spokesperson Gilbert Dzikiti, said the current environment did not provide for free and fair elections considering that parties were being denied key information such as security of the ballot papers.

"To date, the integrity of elections is in shambles following the dictatorial tendencies of imposition from Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) commissioners regarding the voters' roll, security of data, data manipulation and audit of the voters' roll. There has been an element of arrogance with regard to information pertaining to the composition of strategic committees, namely the logistics committee," Mujuru said.

Mujuru accused her former Zanu-PF party, of abusing traditional chiefs for political mileage and cited the Chiefs Council president Fortune Charumbira for willy-nilly defying a High Court order.

"Of note, was the court victory which ordered Chief Charumbira to state the impartiality of chiefs in the country and apologise to all citizens. The court judgment has been ignored to date as a brazen act of contempt of court," she said.

Mujuru alleged her party had hit a brick wall in some areas because chiefs loyal to Zanu-PF had blocked her campaign.

"PRC has been refused access for courtesy calls by frightened traditional leaders in Mashonaland East. Chiefs have not remained open to all Zimbabweans regardless of political affiliation. The fear permeating within chiefs is an indictment of the inherent unfairness of the electoral process," she said.

Mujuru said the country was far from holding credible elections and, therefore, needed help from outsiders.

"In conclusion, PRC is convinced that there is much to be done and elections in Zimbabwe will not be free, fair and credible. Elections are a process which should be involving of all stakeholders and should not be an event seeking to legitimise pseudo democratic illusion," she said.