- Title: KENYA: COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY SAYS ELCTIONS IN ZIMBABWE WERE NOT FREE AND FAIR.
- Date: 4th April 2005
- Summary: (W3) NAIROBI, KENYA (APRIL 4, 2005)(REUTERS) 1. GV/CU: HOTEL IN NAIROBI, FLAGS FLYING (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. GV: COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY GENERAL DON MCKINNON APPROACHING THE CAMERA 0.13 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY GENERAL DON MCKINNON, SAYING: "The sad thing I suppose is we are hearing reports that cover the full spectrum, in other words some say it was very good some say it was quite unfair. We did not have observers from the Commonwealth. President Mugabe took Zimbabwe out of the commonwealth some 18 months ago, we obviously hope they come back sometime. A lot of Zimbabwean people wants to come back to the Commonwealth, but one was hoping that may be beyond expectations of these election would prove to be seen by everybody to be free and fair and satisfactory to everybody in Zimbabwe." 1.06 4. MV: COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY GENERAL DON MCKINNON GOING BACK TO THE HOTEL. 1.13 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 19th April 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NAIROBI, KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Reuters ID: LVAD0WAX45IH34QPFNTXVGYAUHR4
- Story Text: Commonwealth secretary says he is sad that the
elections in Zimbabwe were not free and fair.
Commonwealth members should step up dialogue with
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe after last week's
disputed parliamentary elections, the group's
secretary-general said on Monday (April 4, 2005).
African observers endorsed the poll on Sunday (April
3), countering critics from outside the continent who
accused Mugabe of rigging the vote.
"The sad thing I suppose is we are hearing reports that
cover the full spectrum, in other words some say it was
very good some say it was quite unfair. We did not have
observers from the commonwealth. President Mugabe took
Zimbabwe out of the commonwealth some 18 months ago, we
obviously hope they come back sometime. A lot of Zimbabwean
people wants to come back to the Commonwealth, but one was
hoping that may be beyond expectations of these election
would prove to be seen by everybody to be free and fair and
satisfactory to everybody in Zimbabwe," Commonwealth
Secretary General Don Mckinnon said in his first comments
since Thursday's poll.
Zimbabwe quit the 54-nation Commonwealth in December
2003, after the group of mostly former British colonies
renewed a suspension on the country imposed in 2002, when
Mugabe was re-elected in a poll that opposition and foreign
observers said was rigged.
ZANU PF party won the two thirds of the parliamentary
seats required to change the country's constitution, but
the United States and opposition said the elections were
riddled with irregularities.
The MDC, which lost their third election to Mugabe,
rejected the results accusing ZANU PF of using fear and
intimidation to engineer a victory in the polls.
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