Whereas, on March 29, 2008, parliamentary and presidential
elections were held in Zimbabwe amid widespread reports of voting
irregularities in favor of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic
Front (ZANU–PF) party and President Robert Mugabe, including, according to the
Department of State, “production of far more ballots than there were registered
voters…[and] the allowance of police in polling places”;
Whereas official results showed that the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won a majority of seats in the
parliamentary elections, and independent monitors concluded based on initially
posted results that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai received substantially more
votes than President Mugabe in the presidential election;
Whereas, as of April 24, 2008, the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission has still not released the results of the presidential election,
despite calls to do so by the African Union (AU), the European Union, the
Government of South Africa, the Southern African Development Community (SADC),
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, and the United States;
Whereas, on April 19, 2008, the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission officially commenced recounting ballots cast in 23 parliamentary
constituencies, primarily in districts that did not support candidates
affiliated with ZANU–PF;
Whereas, on April 21, 2008, British Foreign Secretary
David Miliband stated that the ongoing recount was potentially a charade
of democracy
that only serves to fuel suspicion that President
Mugabe is seeking to reverse the results that have been published, to regain a
majority in parliament, and to amplify his own count in the presidential
election,
and accused him of trying to steal the
election
;
Whereas, the Government of Zimbabwe has arrested numerous
members of the media and election officials, and over 1,000 Zimbabweans have
reportedly been fleeing into South Africa every day, while forces loyal to the
government have engaged in a brutal and systematic effort to intimidate
voters;
Whereas, on April 20, 2008, the MDC released a detailed
report showing that more than 400 of its supporters had been arrested, 500 had
been attacked, 10 had been killed, and 3,000 families had been displaced, and
Human Rights Watch reported on April 19, 2008, that ZANU–PF is operating
torture camps
where opposition supporters are being
beaten;
Whereas United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Zalmay Khalilzad stated on April 16, 2008, that he was gravely concerned
about the escalating politically motivated violence perpetrated by security
forces and ruling party militias
;
Whereas, while there is currently no international embargo
on arms transfers to Zimbabwe, a Chinese ship carrying weapons destined for
Zimbabwe was recently prevented from unloading its cargo in Durban, South
Africa, and has been denied access to other ports in the region due to concerns
that the weapons could further destabilize the situation in Zimbabwe;
Whereas Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated on
April 17, 2008, that President Mugabe has done more harm to his country
than would have been imaginable…the last years have been really an
abomination…,
and called for the AU and SADC to play a greater role in
resolving the crisis;
Whereas, the Department of State’s 2007 Country Report on
Human Rights Practices stated that, in Zimbabwe, the ruling party’s
dominant control and manipulation of the political process through intimidation
and corruption effectively negated the right of citizens to change their
government. Unlawful killings and politically motivated abductions occurred.
State sanctioned use of excessive force increased, and security forces tortured
members of the opposition, student leaders, and civil society
activists
; and
Whereas annual inflation in Zimbabwe is reportedly running
over 150,000 percent, unemployment stands at over 80 percent, hunger affects
over 4,000,000 people, and an estimated 3,500 people die each week from hunger,
disease, and other causes related to extremely poor living conditions: Now,
therefore, be it
That it is the sense of the
Senate—
(1)to support the
people of Zimbabwe, who have been subjected to incredible hardships, including
violence, political repression, and severe economic deprivation, in their
aspirations for a free, democratic, and more prosperous future;
(2)to call for an
immediate cessation of politically motivated violence, detentions, and efforts
to intimidate the people of Zimbabwe perpetrated by Zimbabwe’s security forces
and militias loyal to ZANU–PF;
(3)that the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission should immediately release the legitimate results of the
presidential election and ratify the previously announced results of the
parliamentary elections;
(4)that President
Robert Mugabe should accept the will of the people of Zimbabwe in order to
effect a timely and peaceful transition to genuine democratic rule;
(5)that regional
organizations, including SADC and the AU, should play a sustained and active
role in resolving the crisis peacefully and in a manner that respects the will
of the people of Zimbabwe;
(6)that the United
Nations Security Council should be seized of the issue of Zimbabwe, support
efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution of the crisis that respects the
will of the people of Zimbabwe, and impose an international arms embargo on
Zimbabwe until a legitimate democratic government has taken power;
(7)that the United
States Government and the international community should impose targeted
sanctions against additional individuals in the Government of Zimbabwe and
state security services and militias in Zimbabwe who are responsible for human
rights abuses and interference in the legitimate conduct of the elections in
Zimbabwe; and
(8)that the United
States Government and the international community should work together to
prepare a comprehensive economic and political recovery package for Zimbabwe in
the event that a genuinely democratic government is formed and commits to
implementing key constitutional, economic, and political reforms.