Is the curtain falling on Mugabe?
Peter Hoskin 12:30pm
The results of yesterday's elections in Zimbabwe aren't due out for few more days. But the opposition MDC party is already claiming victory. According to their own counts at polling stations, they've "massacred" Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party. Says the MDC secretary general:
"We've won this election. The results coming in show that in our traditional strongholds we are massacring them. In Mugabe's traditional strongholds they are doing very badly. There is no way Mugabe can claim victory unless it is through fraud. He has lost this election."
It's a risky move. On the one hand, it takes the fight squarely to Mugabe - almost daring him to fiddle the results. But on the other, the MDC have left themselves open to claims of electoral malpractice. It won't be beyond the existing regime to exploit this to swing things Mugabe's way. Ominously, Zimbabwe's police force and electoral commission are already wading into the debate.
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Comments
Dave
March 30th, 2008 1:41pmI hope Mugabe goes without a fight like Moi in Kenya did. Either way his time in power is coming to an end.
Trumpeter Lanfried
March 30th, 2008 2:08pmI don't see him going quietly. State of Emergency - opposition leaders interned - thousands of votes mysteriously appearing.
Seen it all before.
Mark
March 30th, 2008 3:03pmAs Uncle Joe Stalin said:
"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."
Let's pray for the people of Zimbabwe that Mugabe doesn't get away with it again.
Herbert Thornton
March 30th, 2008 8:04pmMark is right.
I'm hoping for the Ceascescu effect but I'm not optimistic.