General Secretary Noko Affirms Solidarity with Victims of Deprivation, Humiliation

GENEVA, 10 April 2008 (LWI) - The General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, has expressed great concern for the situation in Zimbabwe, and called on the country's authorities to release the results of the recent elections without further delay in order to allay growing tensions and suspicions.

In a statement issued today, Noko stressed the elections' significance for Zimbabweans who "long waited for this day, and they went to the polls, standing in queues for hours, in order to lodge their vote." The unconscionable delay of the outcome "does not correspond to the legitimate expectations of the citizens of Zimbabwe. The unacceptable vacuum of information concerning the election outcome only encourages speculation and suspicion. The longer the delay, the greater the potential for unrest," he stated.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has not released the results of the 29 March presidential, parliamentary and local elections. The race pitted President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) - Patriotic Front (PF) mainly against the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and an independent party.

The LWF general secretary said the Zimbabwean government and ruling party were responsible for the lack of information and accompanying tension as they had failed "to act affirmatively for the release of the election results." He cited one of the consequences as "a deepening lack of trust in President Mugabe and his government," which had implications at local and international levels. "And if the government of Zimbabwe has lost the respect of its own citizens, what other member of the international community should respect it?" posed Noko, who is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ).

He expressed particular concern about reports of intimidation and violence against opposition representatives and supporters, the media and specific groups within the country, attributed both to official security forces and to groups of 'war veterans.' Noko reminded the government of its responsibility for "the safety and security of all Zimbabweans" and obligation to prevent all forms of political violence and intimidation.

He affirmed the LWF's solidarity with the country's churches in their appeal to the government, opposition, security forces and all elements of Zimbabwean society "to exercise maximum restraint and calm, pending the release of the official results of the elections."

Pointing to the wider context of the political and economic crisis, especially the worsening "disconnect between society and authority," Noko commended Zimbabwe's neighbors for "a powerful demonstration of solidarity with the victims of misrule," who have sought refuge there in huge numbers.

Zimbabweans, noted Noko, had suffered humiliation and deprivation "not at the hands of external oppressors, but at the hands of their own government." He expressed the hope that the people would be spared further agony and possible violence from the delayed election results, as this would only deepen the current humanitarian crisis. It was Noko's prayer that the election results, rather than creating new divisions, would be "the beginning of healing, restoration and reconciliation in this wounded land."