President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe at a press conference on July 30, 2013. The national elections were scheduled for the next day., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
UN congratulates President
October 10, 2013
Hebert Zharare Political Editor
Zimbabwe Herald
UNITED Nations secretary-general Mr Ban Ki-moon has congratulated President Mugabe on his resounding victory in the July 31 harmonised elections and subsequent inauguration as Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
Mr Ban’s regards, fly in the face of the Anglo-Saxon alliance of the United States, Britain and Australia that stubbornly refuses to recognise the elections that have been endorsed by the AU, Sadc, Comesa, the ACP and over 40 countries spread across all five continents as a credible expression of the will of Zimbabweans.
President Mugabe was inaugurated on August 22 after romping to victory with 61,09 percent of the presidential vote to MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s 33,94 percent, leaving the other three presidential aspirants to share the remaining 4,97 percent.
Zanu-PF also scored a crushing two thirds majority over the MDC-T, landing 197 seats in the 270-member National Assembly to MDC-T’s 70, MDC’s two with one seat going to an independent candidate, Mr Jonathan Samukange, who has since declared himself de jure independent but de facto Zanu-PF.
Zanu-PF’s share of the popular vote translated to a dominance of the Senate which is selected on the basis of proportional representation where Zanu-PF holds 37 seats, MDC-T 21 and MDC two.
“Excellency, on the occasion of your inauguration as President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, I wish to congratulate you and commend the people of Zimbabwe for the election held on 31 July 2013.
“As you begin your new term of office, it is my sincere hope that under your leadership Zimbabwe will continue to make progress in the implementation of important reforms that were initiated under the framework of the country’s new Constitution.
“It is also my fervent hope that Zimbabwe will strengthen efforts that will contribute to deepening democratic reforms, advancing human rights and economic development for the benefit of all Zimbabweans.
“The United Nations stands ready to work with the Government of Zimbabwe in advancing these priorities. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration,” Mr Ban said in his letter to President Mugabe.
It has, however, since emerged that the US, Britain and Australia have been receiving unreliable dispatches from their ambassadors in Harare, all of whom have become deeply embedded in MDC-T politics on account of prior associations with Zimbabwe before their posting.
Ms Deborah Bronnert of Britain, Mr Bruce Wharton of the US and his Australian counterpart Mr Matthew Neuhaus have since let their sympathies for the opposition MDC-T and personal affinities to Zimbabwe lead them to misinform their capitals about the situation in Zimbabwe, creating a needless stand-off in the process.
So dire is the situation that sources at the US embassy in Harare say Washington will, in the coming weeks, dispatch deputy assistant secretary of state in the bureau of African affairs Dr Shannon Smith to Harare to ascertain the true Zimbabwean story in light of unreliable dispatches from Mr Wharton.
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