Not quite sure what to make of the Zimbabwean situation. It has been a dreadful week trying to anticipate the movements on the ground. Give him his dues, Mugabe is no fool. He is a master statistician, and can out play many a foe. So the MDC backed out of the run-off election, leaving one candidate to stand for President. The world called for the postponement of the June 27 election, Mugabe pressed ahead. Most of the super powers have openly admitted they will no longer recognize Mugabe as the leader of Zimbabwe.
Total political sham! What was Robert Mugabe thinking? Going ahead with the "run-off" to prove a point that he will always be the duly elected leader of Zimbabwe? News coming out of Zimbabwe is almost unbelievable. Mugabe had the gall to send his military junta door to door in rural settings and urban centers alike, to force march people to the designated voting stations across the nation. Once inside the stations, the voters were escorted to the booth and made to vote in the presence of the police - while they looked on...
The only reason to legitimately explain Mugabe's insistence at going ahead with this "run-off" election would be to ensure his place in granting him safe passage and permanent exit from politics in Zimbabwe. Do you think that could be it?
Speaking of looking on, perhaps now the AU, UN and SADC will rise to the occassion and insist on a negotiated transitional shift of power that will exclude Mugabe form the table, and see Tsvangirai leading an MDC based government that will include three factions from within Zanu PF that had already begun negotiating their protection and immunity once they knew Zanu PF had lost the March 29 poll. If the above regional and international bodies do garner enough influence to speak sense into the situation, then perhaps the two western backers will make provision for the transition to occur financially. Don't really see any logical other solution.
In the larger scope of things, even if this were to be the case, by virtue of the shear volume of gross human rights abuses that have been chalked up by Zanu PF, spanning back to the Gukhurahundi in 1983 - we may see Mugabe's plan ultimately failing with the possibility of him and some of his right hand men making a forced trip under escort to The Hague.
So, we know how long the release of the first results were in being announced. I reckon it would be safe to hold your breath as the "run-off" results will be discharged by the ZEC without haste. Ok, give or take a couple of days, citing the "logistics" but I can assure you the results will already be known by sunrise June 28th...
And the winner is - BUT not for much longer.
Total political sham! What was Robert Mugabe thinking? Going ahead with the "run-off" to prove a point that he will always be the duly elected leader of Zimbabwe? News coming out of Zimbabwe is almost unbelievable. Mugabe had the gall to send his military junta door to door in rural settings and urban centers alike, to force march people to the designated voting stations across the nation. Once inside the stations, the voters were escorted to the booth and made to vote in the presence of the police - while they looked on...
The only reason to legitimately explain Mugabe's insistence at going ahead with this "run-off" election would be to ensure his place in granting him safe passage and permanent exit from politics in Zimbabwe. Do you think that could be it?Speaking of looking on, perhaps now the AU, UN and SADC will rise to the occassion and insist on a negotiated transitional shift of power that will exclude Mugabe form the table, and see Tsvangirai leading an MDC based government that will include three factions from within Zanu PF that had already begun negotiating their protection and immunity once they knew Zanu PF had lost the March 29 poll. If the above regional and international bodies do garner enough influence to speak sense into the situation, then perhaps the two western backers will make provision for the transition to occur financially. Don't really see any logical other solution.
In the larger scope of things, even if this were to be the case, by virtue of the shear volume of gross human rights abuses that have been chalked up by Zanu PF, spanning back to the Gukhurahundi in 1983 - we may see Mugabe's plan ultimately failing with the possibility of him and some of his right hand men making a forced trip under escort to The Hague.
So, we know how long the release of the first results were in being announced. I reckon it would be safe to hold your breath as the "run-off" results will be discharged by the ZEC without haste. Ok, give or take a couple of days, citing the "logistics" but I can assure you the results will already be known by sunrise June 28th...
And the winner is - BUT not for much longer.
