[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9430]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                ZIMBABWE

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, with skyrocketing inflation and 
unemployment, riots over land reform and food shortages, and streams of 
economic and political refugees fleeing into neighboring countries, the 
primary constant in Zimbabwe over the last 30 years has been the 
increasingly despotic and disastrous rule of President Robert Mugabe. A 
decade ago, high interest rates and inflation galvanized public support 
for the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions led by Morgan Tsvangirai, 
who was chosen in 1999 to lead a new opposition party--the Movement for 
Democratic Change, or MDC. In 2002 and 2005, President Mugabe's ruling 
ZANU-PF party rigged Presidential and Parliamentary elections to 
maintain its grip on power, and while he tried to do it again on March 
29 of this year, the MDC and the people of Zimbabwe refused to be 
intimidated or outmaneuvered.
  Despite the Zimbabwean Government's best efforts to limit the access 
of international monitors and journalists, most observers concur that 
the general elections conducted this past March were fraught with 
rigging, mainly to favor the ruling ZANU-PF. Even so, these efforts 
failed to silence the people of Zimbabwe's call for change. After 
significant and unexplained delays, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission 
announced that the MDC had won a majority in Parliament and that Mr. 
Tsvangirai won more votes for the Presidency, but not enough to avoid a 
runoff.
  For more than 6 weeks now, Zimbabwe has been in a state of increasing 
political uncertainty and violence. With each passing day, there are 
new reports of state-sponsored intimidation and detention of opposition 
leaders and supporters, human rights activists, trade union leaders, 
lawyers and journalists. The delay in announcing and now in setting a 
date for the Presidential runoff election has allowed the ruling party 
to mobilize traditional state security services as well as youth 
militias and bands of military veterans to weaken the opposition. Mr. 
Tsvangirai has agreed to participate in a run-off election, but he is 
reluctant to return to Zimbabwe, much less to campaign, unless the 
government will guarantee his security and cease its assault on his 
supporters. Facing the prospect of another three months in political 
limbo and social upheaval, Zimbabwe risks plunging into even greater 
uncertainty and instability.
  Mr. President, we can not stand by while this disaster unfolds. 
President Mugabe has been losing legitimacy, both at home and abroad, 
for years, isolating himself and his country to the detriment of 
Zimbabwe's citizens. The people of Zimbabwe are calling for change, but 
it will take engagement from external actors to help them escape the 
devastating status quo. The recent decision by dock workers across 
southern Africa to refuse to unload a Chinese ship carrying Zimbabwe-
bound ammunition sent a strong message, one that the international 
community should echo. Public statements condemning the situation in 
Zimbabwe by the newly elected President of Botswana followed on the 
heels of these protests and resulted in the denial of a port at which 
the Chinese ship could dock. Decisions by other leaders in the region 
to welcome Mr. Tsvangirai for a visit have been equally important signs 
of this growing political will but they are not enough.
  The MDC's runoff conditions are more than reasonable, and should be 
supported in any way possible by regional and international 
governments. Given the tense environment and high potential for 
politically motivated violence, a commitment to ending impunity for 
human rights violations and stopping the attacks must be a top 
priority. Yesterday, the United Nations representative in Zimbabwe 
reported ``indications that the level of violence is escalating . . . 
and could reach crisis levels.'' I urge the U.N. to immediately send a 
team to investigate these human rights abuses so that the perpetrators 
will be held accountable and future violations might be deterred. 
Similarly, I welcome the African Union's willingness to send additional 
monitors for the runoff election, and I encourage the AU or SADC to 
draw together resources for a short-term peacekeeping mission to 
maintain order and protect civilians in Zimbabwe during this uncertain 
time.
  In addition to an immediate cessation of violence, I fully support 
demands by the United States Government and others that the Zimbabwe 
Government permit unfettered access for international media and 
observers during the campaign and conduct of the run-off polls and 
guarantee Mr. Tsvangirai's safety. South Africa's President Mbeki and 
other leaders of the Southern African Development Community should join 
this forthright call. President Mugabe and his top brass must respect 
fundamental human and political rights and allow for a fair, 
nonviolent, and independently monitored runoff election that can bring 
to power a legitimate government capable of bringing stability and 
growth to this embattled nation.

                          ____________________