...AfricaWinsAgain
Posted on 06/28/2008 4:53:49 AM PDT by Clive
The farcical presidential election run-off in Zimbabwe has come and gone. Predictably Zanu-PF used all sorts of intimidation tactics to force people to the polls so Robert Mugabe -- the only candidate after last Sunday's withdrawal by Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai -- will win by a wide margin.
Reports from the country gave accounts of people being frog marched to the polls and instructed to write down the serial numbers of their ballot papers to prove they voted -- and the party functionaries checked who they voted for.
But this was all expected in the culmination of a brutal campaign by Robert Mugabe's surrogates, including the full force of the nation's military and security agents as well as ruling party militias and the so-called war veterans.
After he lost the first election on March 29, Mugabe, 84, knew a loss on Friday would have meant the end of his political life with a possibility of persecution in one form or another. So, ultimately, he had to win the run-off by any means possible.
Many Zimbabweans and the international community might vow not to recognize his leadership, but Mugabe has been rejected many times before and eventually forced his way into acceptance.
Friday's election "win" has given Mugabe the power that had slipped out of his hands after March 29 and outside of an uprising or other extraordinary means, I do not see any other way to deal with the dictator besides negotiating with him. That was his plan all along.
Mugabe now has an upper hand over the opposition. He has the constitutional power to form and lead a government. Although he has a minority in the House of Assembly, his party will have a majority in the powerful Senate and that leaves the MDC in the same position as it was prior to March 29 -- without legislative power.
Tsvangirai and his MDC retain the right to challenge Mugabe's legitimacy in court, but previous challenges have dragged on from one election to the next. So, unless the MDC has plans beyond elections and court challenges, it is doomed to lead an existence of perpetual opposition.
Worse for them, Mugabe has already made indications that he is willing to negotiate with the MDC. Mugabe knows his statement will divide the international community which had now congregated behind the opposition.
How can you seek to fight or punish someone ready to talk peace with you?
His willingness to talk will slow down the rhetoric of condemnation by world leaders and those calling for sanctions or other punitive action are now going to be forced to put those plans on hold.
Thus, the wily old revolutionary has thrown the ball back into the opposition court and challenged them to make a move. He does not have to propose anything. He is in power and if the opposition wants to share his power, they have to do the begging.
On the other hand, Mugabe will now dictate the pace of any discussions. No matter how quick the opposition might bring its proposals, he can take as much time as he wants to respond, even until he is ready to leave voluntarily or another election is due.
Tired of beatings
Meanwhile, ordinary Zimbabweans are tired of being beaten up and surviving in an economy that can no longer be measured by any earthly fundamentals.
Even before the results of the "election" are announced, many people within the country are already looking forward to a negotiated settlement. "It was always going to be the solution," many have argued.
Peace and economic prosperity are what Zimbabweans yearn for and if it means dealing with the "devil" himself, the people will not care. After all, it was negotiations that brought independence in 1980 and an end to civil war in 1987.
It's the only way forward.
innocent.madawo@sunmedia.ca
www.thesouthernafrican.com
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Acute lead poisoning seems to be in order here.
“Reports from the country gave accounts of people being frog marched to the polls and instructed to write down the serial numbers of their ballot papers to prove they voted — and the party functionaries checked who they voted for.:
Paging Jimmy Carter. Time to certify another election of your favorite dictator.
How can you seek to fight or punish someone ready to talk peace with you?
How stupid can these "world leaders" be? [It's just a rhetorical question, their level of stupidity is obvious.]
He has killed, raped and beaten all who would oppose him, he stole the election. Now he wants to slow down and talk. "Yes, let's sit down and talk to this chap, I'm sure we can reason with him."
Clive, you are absolutely correct. Mugabe, with some help from Jimma, was elected on the promise to take farms away from the owners who had made them productive and give them to his supporters (who hadn’t done much of anything). Thus the country went from being a major exporter of food to being a starving hell hole.
I think there’s a lesson here.
He isn't, but most likely he would like to be. There's even less doubt that some of his supporters would go full bore down that path if they could (Wright, Farrakan, maybe even Michelle). The US doesn't have the right demographics yet for the full Mugabe monty.
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