Roundup: Mugabe says to respect Zimbabwe poll outcome
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E-mail Xinhua, July 31, 2013
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said Tuesday he himself as well as security chiefs are law abiding people who will respect any poll outcome.
He was responding to a question during a press briefing held at the State House on the eve of elections.
Some senior members of the security sector have said they will not accept a Zimbabwean president who does not have liberation war credentials, a statement that was aimed at Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who is Mugabe's fierce rival in the polls.
Tsvangirai's MDC-T party has strongly criticized the utterances which it sees as a sign of the military not ready to accept smooth transfer of power in the event that he wins the election.
"It's a statement that was said by one or two members. But they are not the army and they are not the authority anyway. That was their own view and I thought it was corrected. They are law abiding people," he said.
The veteran 89-year-old ruler said he was confident his Zanu-PF party will win in the elections because it was a "people's party and not one hatched in Europe."
He equated his chances of winning to that of the country's first democratic elections in 1980 during which the party garnered 57 out of the 80 seats reserved for blacks. Twenty were reserved for whites.
He thanked Zimbabweans and the three parties in the inclusive government for a peaceful election campaign.
"There have been a few hitches here and there but I want to thank our people for a peaceful campaign," he said.
He denied claims that he rigs elections, saying "I don't have the power to manipulate the elections. We have the law in this country and it is the law that manipulates us all. I don't control the electoral process. I simply comply and obey the electoral law. "
He added that "I am very obedient, I am a lawyer myself. I am also a person who believes in order. I have been brought up obeying father and mother, obeying systems, obeying custom, obeying elders and that's it. We obey."
He promised that if re-elected into power, his party would continue to champion the indigenization program, revive the manufacturing sector and gradually work on introducing Zimbabwe's own currency.
He acknowledged electoral hitches such as late delivery of voters' rolls to candidates, saying he only received his on Monday, two days before the vote.
He said Zimbabwe would not be bothered if the West, which he has been at loggerheads with since 2000, does not recognize Zimbabwe's election results.
"Keep your own views and if you don't like our election results, well it's up to you and we will go ahead sanctions or no sanctions. But don't interfere in our won country," Mugabe said.
The inclusive government had left the legacy of working together among political opponents for the common good of the country, he said.
"In cabinet we had become very friendly and had friendly interactions (with the MDCs). The greatest thing we achieved was that virtue of being able to work with your opponents," he said, adding the two MDCs worked with Zanu-PF in calling for the removal of Western sanctions on the country.
He also urged media to give a fair coverage of the country and not to tell lies such as accusing Zimbabwe of not having democracy, rule of law, and respect for human rights.
"If Mugabe is wrong, then you say it. But if Mugabe is right, Blair (former British prime minister) is wrong, say so as well," he said. Endi
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