MDC PRESS
18 February 2004
The New Presidential Powers Regulations Represent A covert Declaration of a State of Emergency
New Presidential Powers Regulations, recently announcement by the Mugabe regime, sends ‘shivers down the spines’ of the freedom loving people of Zimbabwe. The announcement is an affront to democracy and should be interpreted as a move to introduce a State of Emergency through the back door. This latest assault on democracy calls into question again Mugabe’s commitment to engage in political dialogue to address the crisis of governance in Zimbabwe. His latest assault on basic democratic rights establishes yet another barrier to creating an environment conducive to effective inter-party dialogue.
“These regulations are nothing more than a Trojan horse which effectively usher in provisions that give the regime State of Emergency powers without actually declaring a State of Emergency,” said David Coltart, MDC Secretary for Legal Affairs.
Mugabe’s new powers mean that police can detain people for up to thirty days without trial. Not only does this disturbing development confirm the totalitarian instincts of the regime, it also betrays Zanu PF’s intention to entrench their framework of tyranny.
The Zanu PF government has attempted to dress up the announcement as a moral stand against corruption by claiming that the fundamental aim is to tackle ‘economic crimes’ such as money laundering, fraud and illegal foreign currency trading. Closer scrutiny of the new regulations however, reveal that the ‘economic crimes’ element is a mere gimmick. The main target of the regulations are Mugabe’s political opponents, i.e. the MDC. Why else would the new regulations also be applied to offences committed under the draconian Public Order and Security Act, under the provisions of which thousands of MDC supporters have been arrested, including most of the leadership?
“The intention of the regime is clear. They understand that the region and South Africa cannot afford a declaration of a State of Emergency, which the regime desperately needs to facilitate detention-without-trial, last used by the Smith regime and by Mugabe during the Gukurahundi period. So now, under the guise of corruption, the regime has introduced 30-day detention provisions which will undoubtedly be used preventatively, and/or punitively, to detain those who promote peaceful and non-violent methods of civil disobedience.
Furthermore, given the regime’s predilection for torturing its opponents whilst they are in police custody, there is equally no doubt that these provisions will be used to torture opponents more effectively, and more importantly, to prevent those tortured from receiving timeous medical attention,” said Coltart
Increasingly, this level of desperation on the part of the Mugabe regime confirms its loss of moral authority. This is a regime that is on its way out and it knows it. It finds itself exactly where the Smith regime was in the late 70s.
MDC Information Department
|
|
You can make a difference
|
|
 |
Make a donation |
|
Support Zimbabwe at an event |
|
Lobby your local Government member |
|
Become a member of the ZIC |
|
