Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA Welcomes Democratic Change in Zimbabwe

Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA, the overseas aid arm of the ACTU, today congratulated the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai, for their win in the Zimbabwe elections held last weekend.

The MDC and opposition have officially won the majority of seats in the elections for the Lower House, and according to polling-place declarations, MDC also won the presidential and senate elections. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has yet to declare a winner in the presidential vote, prompting fears that the former dictator, Robert Mugabe, is in the process of once again rigging the results by including false and altered ballot papers. If Mugabe insists on a run-off presidential ballot, the neighbouring African countries will need to intervene to help ensure a free and fair process.

"Despite extreme repression, torture, killings and even massacres by the Mugabe regime over the past 28 years since he came to power, the people of Zimbabwe have chosen a path of non-violence to win democracy and freedom," said Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA Executive Officer, Peter Jennings, in Sydney today. "Despite well-reasoned fears, 2.4 million Zimbabweans cast their votes. Out of a population of 13 million, the 5 million workers who have fled repression and joblessness were excluded from voting outside the country."

On behalf of the Australian trade union movement, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has been assisting development projects in Zimbabwe for the past twenty years, since 1988. In the past decade, the major focus has been on HIV education and support through the Zimbabwe Council of Trade Unions, using workplace delegates to successfully run peer education in workplaces. In more recent years, there has also been a focus on assisting grassroots women's organizations with emergency food aid as Mugabe's policies bought about widespread economic collapse and hunger, and controlled international food donations as a weapon in his struggle against the democratic opposition. Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has also focused on strengthening civil society organizations to help them in their struggle for democracy.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA calls on the Australian government to join with other nations in being vigilant in ensuring that Mugabe does not "steal" the Presidential elections at this late stage by altering the votes already cast to ensure a runoff election, and then using the military, the Central Intelligence Office, the so-called "war veterans" and the brutal Youth Brigades to make a violent last stand to retain power. Yesterday's arrests of foreign reporters, and the raid on the MDC leadership in the Meikles Hotel are ominous signs.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA calls on the Australian government to use the aid program to show great generosity to the Zimbabwean people as they rebuild their destroyed economy and shattered lives. Reconstruction support is necessary, not only for governance, agriculture and economy, but in the health and education systems, in environmental recovery, in fighting HIV, and in democratic civil society organisations and democratic media.

Peter Jennings, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA Executive Officer
Phone: (02) 9264 9343 Mobile 04 0904 7353
Ken Davis, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA International Program Manager
Mobile 04 1739 8167

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Last Modified: Wednesday, 09-Apr-2008 12:26:57 EST
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