Sunday 13 April 2008

Mugabe hanging on

As Zimbabweans await the outcome of the presidential vote, the remaining white farmers have said there is more harassment that repeat the land invasions of eight years ago, under Robert Mugabe's reign of terror.

It's a war that is shaping up more exciting than Kevin Byrne verses Val Schier.

Zimbabwe's electoral commission today ordered a recount of some ballots, in the farce of the recent election. This will happen this coming weekend. African leaders in Zambia, have repeatedly called for the poll results to be announced, almost two weeks after the poll was taken.

Many now have joined the chorus to accept the election results. The results from at least 20 electoral areas had been disputed by Robert Mugabe's Zanu party. Mugabe, who is now 84 years, has ruled the country for 20 years, that boosts the highest inflation rate in the world at over 1000%.

Toilet paper costs $417 Zimbabwean dollars. That's per a single two-ply sheet, not per roll. A roll costs $145,750 ($AUD 0.33 cents).

The price of toilet paper increases every other day it seems. Many joke that the better use for Zimbabwe's $500 bill is as toilet paper, which is now the smallest in circulation.

The International Monetary Fund says inflation in 2006 was 1216% and reached 11,000% in June 2007. It continues to climb and now exceeds 100,000% as of April 2008.

The recent election has had multiple claims of vote rigging, election fraud and intimidation. All this seems normal in such a corrupt regime.
The recount will be of all votes cast in 22 affected constituencies.

The opposition's Movement for Democratic Change claimed its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai won the presidency, beating incumbent Robert Mugabe.

According to the initial results, Mugabe's Zanu party has lost its majority for the first time since independence in 1980, winning 97 seats against the MDC's 99 in the 210-seat chamber.
In the Senate (upper house), Mugabe's Zanu, and the opposition, have 30 seats each.

It makes the recents Cairns Regional Council elections, including former councillor Paul Freebody's narrow 10-vote defeat without a re-count, look tame.
Here's the BBC's Election summary.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

If you really think "It's a war that is shaping up more exciting than Kevin Byrne verses Val Schier.",
take a look at this horror story:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3724340.ece

And this one will bring tears to your eyes:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6275152.stm

The disgraceful thing is that Mugabe and his goons came to power in 1980 through these tactics and have been using them ever since - WHILE THE REST OF THE WORLD SAID AND DID NOTHING. Including Australia, who was instrumental in getting Mugabe into power, especially former PM Malcolm Fraser.

Makes you realise all our electioneering is comically tame and absolutely nothing to worry about at all.