REJECTED & HUMILIATED! AU Sacks Obasanjo as Head Observer in Zimbabwe Election…Pan African Union Group says ‘he’s divisive; his appointment could lead to another Egypt Revolution’ *Claims: ‘AU cannot entrust him as a failed mediator’ *Mugabe remarks: ‘Obasanjo is a Failed Democrat who can’t deliver Credible Election’ * ‘Obasanjo will introduce Vote Rigging’-Zimbabweans *African Union: ‘We’ve appointed AU Commissioner for Political Affairs; Dr. Aisha Abdullahi to fully take charge of the elections in Zimbabwe’ *Media Accreditation Commences 23 July outside Harare International Airport at 14:00Hours *General Elections hold 31 July *60 Short Term Observers arrived 20 July *Quote: “In Ghana, Obasanjo created a problem when he was the leader of an observer team; in Togo, Obasanjo created a problem; in Senegal, Obasanjo created a problem; in DRC, when Obasanjo was the leader of the negotiations between (renegade CNDP rebel leader Laurent) Nkunda and the Congolese government, he created a problem and aborted that mission. As then Nigeria’s President, he attempted to change the constitution in 2006 to give himself a third term”

REJECTED & HUMILIATED!

AU Sacks Obasanjo as Head Observer in Zimbabwe Election…Pan African Union Group says ‘he’s divisive; his appointment could lead to another Egypt Revolution’

*Claims: ‘AU cannot entrust him as a failed mediator’

*Mugabe remarks:  ‘Obasanjo is a Failed Democrat who can’t deliver Credible Election’

* ‘Obasanjo will introduce Vote Rigging’–Zimbabweans

*African Union: ‘We’ve appointed AU Commissioner for Political Affairs; Dr. Aisha Abdullahi to fully take charge of the elections in Zimbabwe’

*Media Accreditation Commences 23 July outside Harare International Airport at 14:00Hours

*General Elections hold 31 July *60 Short Term Observers arrived 20 July

Quote: “In Ghana, Obasanjo created a problem when he was the leader of an observer team; in Togo, Obasanjo created a problem; in Senegal, Obasanjo created a problem; in DRC, when Obasanjo was the leader of the negotiations between (renegade CNDP rebel leader Laurent) Nkunda and the Congolese government, he created a problem and aborted that mission. As then Nigeria’s President, he attempted to change the constitution in 2006 to give himself a third term”

 BY SAMSON SHOAGA/MANAGING EDITOR, LIVE IN HARARE

FOR Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, the remaining credibility he’s got seems now torn into shreds by his open ‘removal’ as Chairman, Election Observer to Zimbabwe General Election holding on July 31 in Harare, due to various clamor and reactions by various pressure and civil society groups across Africa openly rejecting him. Leading this rejection clamor for Obasanjo is ‘Pan African Union Group’, a forum of civil society groups in Kenya who claimed among other issues that Obasanjo is incapable of ‘midwifing’ a genuine, truthful and honest general elections in Harare. Not to overheat the polity, African Union (AU) caved in to pressure and appointed AU Commissioner for Political Affairs; Dr. Aisha Abdullahi to fully take charge of the elections in Zimbabwe.

African Union Group Issues for Rejecting Obasanjo

Naija Standard observed that the Pan African Forum led by David Nyekorach-Matsanga rejected Olusegun Obasanjo’s appointment as head of the African Union observer mission among reasons that the former Nigerian president is being divisive and his appointment could lead to an Egypt-style scenario in Zimbabwe. The group described former Obasanjo as a traitor who has betrayed Africa during past election monitoring missions around the continent.

The Kenyan-based lobby group supporting AU objectives is comprised of academics and students. It accused Obasanjo of leaving a trail of failed mediation missions in his wake adding that “the African Union cannot entrust him…to be the vanguard of democracy in any country especially Zimbabwe where he has close ties with the opposition. Zimbabweans have remained optimistic ahead of elections later this month.”

Nyekorach-Matsanga said Obasanjo has a dislike for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and a “soft spot” for the opposition, something he said could cause a conflict of interest in the election.

“We don’t have any personal hatred against General Obasanjo, but this is a man who can never be trusted to observe any elections in this African continent,” he said.

Nyekorach-Matsanga said the Zimbabwe elections are critical not only to the southern Africa region, but to the whole of Africa.

“We need sober minds, a cool observer, a person who is not erratic, a person who has not betrayed Africa before, a person who has never used double standard, and a person who has never failed election observers before,” he said.

He said Obasanjo betrayed Africa during past election monitoring missions around the continent.

“In Ghana, Obasanjo created a problem when he was the leader of an observer team; in Togo, Obasanjo created a problem; in Senegal, Obasanjo created a problem; in DRC, when Obasanjo was the leader of the negotiations between (renegade CNDP rebel leader Laurent) Nkunda and the Congolese government, he created a problem and aborted that mission,” he said.

Nyekorach-Matsanga said the former Nigerian president has no democratic credentials to lead a continental election monitoring mission because, as president of Nigeria, Obasanjo attempted to change the constitution in 2006 to give himself a third term.

In addition, Nyekorach-Matsanga said Obasanjo cannot be an impartial observer because he has in the past called Mugabe’s resignation.

“Obasanjo has called for the removal of President Mugabe violently. He has also taken sides with Morgan Tsvangirai. It is very, very incredible for any institution to take a man who has already taken sides to go and observe an election in a country that is facing an uphill task to produce a free and fair election,” he said.

Zimbabweans fears vote rigging

Naija Standard observed that lots of Zimbabweans are afraid that the 31 July General Elections could truncate the seeming peace being enjoyed in that country when Obasanjo is appointed as Head AU Mission for their elections due to his divisive approach and ‘biased politicking’ whenever he has interest.

Nyekorach-Matsanga boasts of the fact that his organization defended Zimbabwe against Western sanctions. Yet, he said, he’s not biased in criticizing Obasanjo.

His words: “We have not only been supporters of President Mugabe, we have been supporting the entire country against sanctions. We are not rejecting Obasanjo because we hit MDC. No! We are only saying the elections in the Zimbabwe need a sober head, somebody whose track record is not litter with lies like Obasanjo.”

‘Obasanjo have no Democratic Credentials’–Robert Mugabe

Undercover investigation conducted by Naija Standard from sources within Zimbabwe’s ruling party confirmed President Mugabe as saying: “Obasanjo has no democratic credentials in Africa. He is not a democrat but a confusionist and an enemy of democratic institution. I know him very well.”

African Union Observers

The AU observer mission is said to comprise 60 observers drawn from African electoral management bodies, civil society organizations, Pan-African Parliament, regional economic communities and human rights organizations.

This is in line with the AU’s commitment to the people of Zimbabwe and in ensuring democratic stability through credible elections on the continent as contained in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs; Dr. Aisha Abdullahi Arrives In Zimbabwe for the July 31 General Elections.

Following the approval of the deployment of an African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) by the Chairperson of the Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, African Union Long Term Observers arrived in Zimbabwe on 15 June 2013 were subsequently joined by Sixty (60) Short Term Observers on 20 July 2013.

Naija Standard observed that high-level African Union (AU) teams have started arriving in Harare, Zimbabwe ahead of the July 31 General Elections in consonance with African Union Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa and the African Union Guidelines on Election Observation and Monitoring Missions. In 2008, President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party was widely accused of rigging.

This media statement serves to announce the arrival of The African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi at Harare International Airport at 14:30.

The media are invited to a photo opportunity and to record a statement from the Commissioner upon her arrival.

VENUE: Outside Harare International Airport
DATE: 23 July 2013
TIME: Media to arrive at 14:00

Media Contacts:
Mrs Wynne Musabayana:
Email: musabayanaw@africa-union.org
wynnemusabayana@yahoo.com
Tel: +263 776891025

Ms Hajra Omarjee:
Email: hajraomarjee@hotmail.com
Tel: +263 771711854