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zimbabwe election

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gandalfthegrey
I wanted to know what everyone thinks about the Zimbabwe Election.

I think very little of Mugabe, however well intended his policies and actions may have been to reverse the past injustices and to create equality for black Zimbabweans.

But I don't think we are getting the full story in the western media. They try to paint Mugabe as the devil and Morgan Tsvangirai as some kind of saint or freedom fighter in the mold of Nelson Mandela.
I think things are more complicated then the impression that we are being given.

Many of Mugabe's policies angered the international banking establishment and the folks at the International Monetary Fund. But we've heard this story before. The western media try to demonize or take out-of-context the comments or policies of the governments of Hugo Chavez (of Venezuela) or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (of Iran).
ganesh
I don't think even ethnic Zimbabweans are too happy with Mugabe.

The inflation in the country is too high, and people aren't able to afford even essential commodities.

The elections are going to be rigged and I guess Mugabe ought to be labelled a 'dictator'!
deanhills
Mugabe is a dictator, a murderer, an oppressor of people, a thief. He has been singly responsible for killing thousands and thousands of people who resisted him. I cannot understand why he is still in power. He has just done it again with the opposition leader. They had to have a second selection, and during the run-up to the election Mugabe supporters started to murder those who were supporting the opposition leader. The opposition leader had to flee. The election has now reverted to a one-candidate election.

Think this is a good summary of current lack of support for Mugabe by his own counterparts in Africa as well as current news regarding the election. The reports is quoted from "RTE News" dated 30 June 2008:
Quote:
An African Union delegation has become the third set of observers to declare Zimbabwe's one-man election undemocratic, increasing pressure on Robert Mugabe.

President Mugabe is meeting other African leaders at a summit in Egypt.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called for the suspension of Mr Mugabe from the African Union until he allows a free and fair election.

AdvertisementHe said the AU will be setting a dangerous precedent if Mr Mugabe is allowed to participate in its meetings.

In a preliminary report on Friday's run-off presidential ballot, boycotted by opposition leader and first round winner Morgan Tsvangirai, the 40-strong mission said it had been blighted by violence, intimidation and media bias.

But amid growing calls for Mr Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change to sit down for talks, the AU said it had been encouraged by both sides' stated willingness for dialogue.

Although there were widespread reports of people being forced to vote for Mr Mugabe, the AU report said that polling day had passed off peacefully and 'in accordance with the electoral laws of Zimbabwe'.

However, it then said that 'violence in the run-down to the elections' and lack of equal access to the media had rendered the process undemocratic.

The AU concluded that the election process fell short of accepted AU standards.

The report was issued in Harare as Mr Mugabe was in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the first day of the AU summit, which is being overshadowed by the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, a US-drafted UN sanctions resolution has called for the Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and freeze the assets of specific Zimbabwean individuals and companies.

The draft, obtained by Reuters, says the council would not recognise Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's 27 June re-election and would freeze the assets of and ban travel for anyone who helped the government 'undermine democratic processes' or anyone who supported politically-motivated violence.


Mugabe inauguration

A growing number of African governments have urged Mr Mugabe to engage with the MDC.

At his inauguration yesterday, Mr Mugabe put out feelers to the MDC by saying he wanted to hold a dialogue that could 'minimise our differences and enhance the area of unity and cooperation'.

The MDC reacted warily by saying it was hard to reconcile his comments with the violence on the ground but nevertheless said a negotiated settlement that leads to free and fair elections is 'our only exit out of the crisis'.

According to the MDC, nearly 90 of its supporters were killed and thousands more wounded by pro-Mugabe thugs before Mr Tsvangirai pulled out of the contest last weekend and took refuge in the Dutch embassy.

No Westerners were allowed to observe the vote but the AU was one of three African missions - along with the Pan-African Parliament and the Southern African Development Community - who were allowed in.

In its report released late Sunday, the 400-strong team of SADC monitors said the vote had been characterised by violence and failed to reflect the will of the people.

The Pan-African Parliament in its report also released on Sunday called for fresh polls after the Swazi head of the team, Marwick Khumalo, said it was hard to avoid the conclusion that violence which marred the contest was state-sponsored.
TomGrey
White ruled Rhodesia was racist.
Therefore,
black Mugabe is better.

Even if he's a dictator, a murderer, a destroyer of a thriving capitalist economy, replacing it with the much-beloved (by academics in the West) policies of socialism and hatred against the rich whites.

Blech.

The US should recognize the imperfect Morgan Tsvangirai as the real elected leader and freeze Mugabe's assets, and not accept travel by him or his family, and urge other democracies to do the same. If the rigged elections are accepted, the world's democracies will see more rigged elections.

The hyperinflation and increasing poverty are real, but certainly the full story is not out -- it's almost certain to be far worse.
Bikerman
TomGrey wrote:
White ruled Rhodesia was racist.
Therefore,
black Mugabe is better.

Even if he's a dictator, a murderer, a destroyer of a thriving capitalist economy, replacing it with the much-beloved (by academics in the West) policies of socialism and hatred against the rich whites.
Which academics would these be? Mugabe's policies are not socialist. He used to be a Marxist, for sure, but he is now a sad, bitter old man with way too much power, which makes him a tyrant.
Quote:
The US should recognize the imperfect Morgan Tsvangirai as the real elected leader and freeze Mugabe's assets, and not accept travel by him or his family, and urge other democracies to do the same. If the rigged elections are accepted, the world's democracies will see more rigged elections.
Yes, I agree completely.
Zackster
In my opinion zim is ruled not governed, robert encouraged the blacks to attack whites because they were farming... Now where is the logic in that? Sure land reform should take place but not forcefully as happened in zim. I have friends who had to leave zim because robert's thugs tried to rape and kill them... And i personally belive the elections weren't free and fair... I mean the poor voters were threatened by zanupf to vote for them... But in the end robert lost... Mmm maybe that because everyone hates him. Now zim folk are filling up south africa and thanks to our BEE policy in south africa zim folk get jobs before white and coloured south africas... I just wish they would abolish BEE and let the dice fall where they will...
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