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Tsvangirai, Ncube snubs Mugabe's inauguration
23 Aug 2013 at 03:12hrs | Views
The MDC formations on Thursday boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of President Robert Mugabe following last month's hotly disputed elections.
The MDC-T, together with other opposition parties, civil society and many observers, claim Mugabe won the election fraudulently.
Official ZEC results gave Mugabe 61 percent of the vote, compared to 33 percent for Morgan Tsvangirai, who had been Prime Minister in a tense power-sharing deal with the president.
Ahead of Mugabe's inauguration there was much hype in the state media that 40 Heads of State would attend. But only a few did, including four from SADC, barely five days after the regional bloc endorsed Mugabe's electoral victory in Malawi.
Only Presidents Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Armando Gebuza of Mozambique, Joseph Kabila of DRC and Namibia's Hifikepunye Pohamba were at the stadium.
The majority of those in attendance were former Presidents who have passed on the baton to younger leaders. These were Thabo Mbeki, Joachim Chissano, Benjamin Mkapa and Sam Nujoma.
Most leaders either sent their deputies, foreign ministers or representatives. On the eve of the inauguration there was nothing to show that the country was about to witness an historic event, especially when you examine Mugabe's crowd-pulling 'rented' rallies and the 'overwhelming' votes he got from the elections.
The MDC-T, together with other opposition parties, civil society and many observers, claim Mugabe won the election fraudulently.
Official ZEC results gave Mugabe 61 percent of the vote, compared to 33 percent for Morgan Tsvangirai, who had been Prime Minister in a tense power-sharing deal with the president.
Ahead of Mugabe's inauguration there was much hype in the state media that 40 Heads of State would attend. But only a few did, including four from SADC, barely five days after the regional bloc endorsed Mugabe's electoral victory in Malawi.
Only Presidents Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Armando Gebuza of Mozambique, Joseph Kabila of DRC and Namibia's Hifikepunye Pohamba were at the stadium.
The majority of those in attendance were former Presidents who have passed on the baton to younger leaders. These were Thabo Mbeki, Joachim Chissano, Benjamin Mkapa and Sam Nujoma.
Most leaders either sent their deputies, foreign ministers or representatives. On the eve of the inauguration there was nothing to show that the country was about to witness an historic event, especially when you examine Mugabe's crowd-pulling 'rented' rallies and the 'overwhelming' votes he got from the elections.
Source - SW Radio Africa
