Parliamentarians urges UN chief to go to Zimbabwe

LONDON - British and Swedish parliamentarians Kate Hoey and Birgitta Ohlsson have urged the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to lead a UN delegation to deal with the election crisis in Zimbabwe.

In a joint letter to Secretary-General Ki-Moon the two MPs said his presence in Harare would signal that the world community stood united in an appeal for the installation of a government that reflects the will of the people.

Ban Ki-moon has since made an urgent statement urging the expeditious, transparent release of election results from the March 29 elections.

Said the UN on behalf of the the secretary general; "Nine days ago, the people of Zimbabwe voted in a responsible and peaceful manner.  The Secretary-General is concerned that presidential results have yet to be released in spite of the constitutional deadline.  He urges the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to discharge its responsibility and release the results expeditiously and with transparency.  He calls upon all actors to act responsibly, exercise restraint and calm, and to address all issues regarding the elections through recourse to legal means and dialogue as necessary for the good of all Zimbabweans."

But Hoey and Ohlsson want him to lead a delegation to the African country.

Both MPs have made recent undercover visits to Zimbabwe visiting opposition activists and members of civil society engaged in the struggle for democracy and human rights.

Labour's Hoey is Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Zimbabwe in the UK Parliament. Birgitta Ohlsson is the Foreign Affairs spokesperson for the Liberal Party in the Swedish Parliament.

The two wrote; "We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the events unfolding in Zimbabwe following the March 29 elections. More than a week has passed and the people have not yet received the official election results, while crackdowns and arrests of opposition and journalists have been reported by media.

We, the undersigned, have made repeated visits to Zimbabwe and have noted pleas from within the country for help from the United Nations. In order to facilitate a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis, the United Nations must act immediately.

The United Nations’ ability to respond decisively in the wake of a bitterly contested election was illustrated during former Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s diplomatic intervention in Kenya. 

Therefore, we urge you as Secretary-General of the United Nations to lead a UN delegation to Zimbabwe. Your presence in Harare would signal that the world community stands united in an appeal for the installment of a government that reflects the will of the people.

Secondly, the UN delegation headed by the Secretary-General should arrange face-to-face meetings with presidential candidates Mr Robert Mugabe and Mr Morgan Tsvangirai. At this stage, it is crucial that the UN listens, leads and calms the situation.

Thirdly, in order to ensure the Zimbabwean people’s confidence in an open and transparent election process, the UN Security Council should demand that the election results are made public.

Finally, we believe it is of utmost importance that you, as Secretary-General, engage all of the region’s nations. Such a shuttle diplomacy would be essential in ensuring that a peaceful and democratic resolution of the conflict has the backing and legitimacy from neighboring states.

The United Nations has an obligation to stand by the Zimbabwean people who have bravely shown their commitment to the democratic process. The Secretary-General of the United Nation must play a leading and active role in facilitating resolution to the current crisis and preventing further conflicts."

President Robert Mugabe's government lost control of the country's parliament for the first time since independence in elections held on March 29 and Mugabe himself is believed to have lost the presidential poll to Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition MDC leader.

Results for the presidential election have not been announced 10 days on though Zanu PF is already talking of a run-off of the presidential election when the results are still to be made public.

The MDC on the other hand has claimed victory, saying Tsvangirai is the righful Zimbabwe President after pipping Mugabe at the polls.