Anti-US protest took place outside the American embassy in Pretoria. Obama is in the country for a state visit., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
US adamant illegal sanctions regime stays
August 21, 2013
Jen Psaki Felex
Herald Reporter
The United States Government has vowed to maintain the illegal sanctions it imposed on Zimbabwe despite President Mugabe’s overwhelming victory in the just ended harmonised elections insisting its position will only be reviewed when it sees “signs of change” on the ground. US State Department spokeswoman Ms Jen Psaki on Monday said the July 31 elections in which President Mugabe and Zanu-PF resoundingly won were flawed and her country had no plans to scrap the embargo against Zimbabwe.
This statement appears to be a direct response to a call to lift the sanctions by Sadc leaders during a summit in Lilongwe, Malawi, where President Mugabe’s re-election was endorsed.
The US stance received brickbats from political analysts who said the country was still to come to terms with the MDC-T’s crushing defeat, a party they had worked with in pursuit of regime change.
Said Ms Psaki: “The United States stands by our assessment that these elections, while relatively peaceful, did not represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people due to serious flaws throughout the electoral process.
“We have made it clear to the Government of Zimbabwe and the region that a change in US sanctions policy will occur only in the context of credible, transparent and peaceful reforms that reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people.”
Sadc, the African Union, African Caribbean Pacific, Chinese delegation and a host of international observers have passed the vote as peaceful, free and fair with only the US, Britain and Australia condemning the polls.
Political analyst Professor Jonathan Moyo said it was unfortunate that the US, being the MDC-T financier, was still to come to terms with the impossibility of regime change in Zimbabwe.
“It is understandable that the statements are coming from people whose horse lost the race. They have been funding the MDC-T and obviously they are still to come to reality with the loss. Give them 40 days and 40 nights there is no doubt they will sober up and come to terms with the defeat. It is only after waking up from the dream that they will fall and step in line with the rest of the world,” he said.
Another political analyst, Mr Gabriel Chaibva, said Zimbabweans refused to be puppets of Americans by voting out the MDC-T.
“The people and observers on the ground have spoken and we do not panic because of what the US says,” he said.
“These guys supported the MDC-T to fight for the interests of their kith and kin who are the commercial white farmers, but their project finally collapsed with the elections.”
He said by calling for sanctions, MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai should be held accountable for acting in a manner “prejudicial to the economic interests of Zimbabweans”.
Midlands State University lecturer Mr Christopher Gwatidzo said Zimbabwe would never lose sleep because of the statements by the US.
“Many people have endorsed the elections and America is not the whole world,” he said.
“In fact, our elections have provided a benchmark for other countries as we have proved to be a mature democratic society. During the liberation struggle they sided with the Rhodesian government and we should never expect anything positive from them.”
Mr Gwatidzo said it was clear the Americans were taking a cue from Mr Tsvangirai and would never concede defeat.
“Their stance was predictable and were always going to side with the MDC-T,” said another MSU lecturer, Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri.
“They always want to be on top of every situation and if they are to come for any re-engagement they should know that we do not allow them to dictate the pace because these would bilateral negotiations.”
President Mugabe garnered 61,09 percent of the valid votes cast, trouncing Mr Tsvangirai who managed only 33,94 percent.
No comments:
Post a Comment