27 June 2008 - 03H02
Zimbabwe votes in one-man election
Zimbabweans head to the polls in a one-man presidential run-off after President Robert Mugabe rejected calls to delay the vote. The European Commission on Friday called the vote illegitimate. (Report: R.Tompsett)
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Click here to read the commentary by FRANCE 24's Armen Georgian: "Mugabe and Tsvangirai willing to negotiate...what?"
Addressing his supporters from inside the Dutch Embasssy where he sought refuge, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai urged voters to cast their ballot for outgoing President Robert Mugabe if their lives were at stake.
"If possible, we ask you not to vote today,” Tsvangirai said in a letter emailed to South Africa on Friday. “But if you must vote for Mr Mugabe because of threats to your life, then do so."
Unlike the March 29 election, there were hardly any people queuing to vote in the run off presidential election when polling stations opened on Friday.
Back in March, a steady stream of Zimbabweans who work in South Africa returned to Zimbabwe to vote. No such spectacle this time, France 24 correspondents reported from the border town of Beibridge.
“They presumably did so to support the MDC,” France 24’s Alex Duval Smith said. “Now that they don’t have that option anymore, they’re staying.”
“Mugabe’s strategy of terror succeeded”
Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the race last Sunday after a wave of violence left more than 80 of his MDC supporters dead. “Mugabe’s strategy of terror succeeded,” says France 24’s Caroline Dumay. “People are scared.”
The outcome of the election where Mugabe is the only contestant left is clear. In his statement, Tsvangirai warned that the election results would be “meaningless” and that the election amounted to a “shameful humiliation.”
“Mugabe is going to win, of course,” Dumay explained. “But it’s going to be interesting to see how many voters will choose Tsvangirai because his name is still on the ballot.”
An African solution for an African probem?
The international community has widely condemned Mugabe for his autocratic method.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the vote a "sham" and said Washington would consider how to pressure Mugabe at the UN Security Council.
G8 foreign ministers gathered in Kyoto warned in a joint statement that “they would not recognize the legitimacy of a government that doesn’t reflect the will of the people of Zimbabwe.”
But, said Duval Smith “the international community has failed to understand that this kind of condemnation irritates Mugabe even more. It’s not because the people he resents and believed have colonized his country condemn him that he’s going to change his mind. What we need is much something much tougher like economic sanctions and we’re not there yet.”
For MDC members like Roy Bennett, talking to France 24 from South Africa, “this is an African problem and it needs an African solution.”
“We have time on our side to get our structures strong and to wait such time as to have a free and fair election supported by an African union transitional authority, supported by Sadec toward a new Constitution and a new Zimbabwe,” Bennett said.
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Comments
He had the results
Prior to the MDC-T withdrawal Mugabe had the results of this Friday's election coz already his planing to visit AU meeting in Egypt next week. This gimmick must stop people have suffered enough, i wonder were the so called super power or the UN is when people are suffering like this. today tax payer's money has been used, effect at this moment in time zimbabwe does not have money so it means the future leader will have to pay for this election gimmick.
People are terrified, demoralised and truly battling to live
Dear editor
I have just watched the interview with George Shiri on France24. The man is so obviously a ZANU PF apologist - research his history. How can he possibly give accurate comment on what is happening here on the ground whilst he sits in comfort in London? It makes me so angry I could spit blood!
To say that the violence is being perpetrated by both parties is ludicrous. Any violence and intimidation that has occurred has originated with the military serving as an organ of Mugabe's regime and with youth militias gathered together by the same regime. These youth militias are largely comprised of unemployed young men and boys who are paid, given ZANU tshirts and scarves, armed with sticks and marijuana and sent out to beat and intimidate people. Attempts to report this violence to the police or attempts to have police intervene are ignored. Any violence that has come from MDC has been retaliatory. There is NO rule of law.
At night, here in the suburbs of Harare, we can hear these gangs singing and running on the roads in groups of 20 to 100. They go door to door taking people away to all night 'pungwes' (meetings) on open ground. Here these unfortunate people are made to sing for hours in the cold, they are beaten and made to beat each other and forced to chant ZANU PF slogans. I have seen the results myself. Last week the son of a staff member and 3 of his friends were beaten in Epworth on the outskirts of Harare by these militia.
This morning another staff member's daughter in the rural areas messaged her mother to say they were being told to line up behind the chief and headman and forced to vote. They have also been told to write down the serial number on their ballot papers on their hand and give the number to the militia so that they can check who they voted for. Although this may not be possible, the fear of having their houses burnt of being beaten and even killed make these threats very real, especially to semi-literate rural folk. In addition to which some of the rural polling stations may only have 100 or so people who vote there. So if the results for that polling station do not reflect what these thugs have ordered, the beatings, burnings and maimings start again.
People are terrified, demoralised and truly battling to live. And whilst world focus is on Zimbabwe has intensified greatly over the last few months, the tyranny of this government and the rape of this beautiful land have been going on for years. Yes, there is world outcry, but the battered and broken Zimbabwean people need world action!
What they especially don't need are the views of this radical academic without at least some counterbalance to put forward the case for the opposition and to truly expose the un-level playing field that they are operating on.
As a rule we really appreciate the reporting that we find on France24, but this Shiri just made us angry because with all his clever rhetoric, so many basic brutal truths were veiled. Let Mr Shiri come home and try to even find one loaf of bread and enough billion dollars to buy it.
Yours sincerely
Frustrated Zimbabwean
Viva Mugabe!
On 29 March 2008, Mugabe and Tsvangirai had at least 1 million people voting for each of them. Tsvangirai had more presidential votes by 115 000. MDC had more parliamentary seats but less popular votes than MDC. Using the simple math, more people want Zanu PF and not necessarily Mugabe. The "win" by Tsvangirai was not enough to avoid an election run-off...and so today, the 27th of June, the people of Zimbabwe are voting. Violence has never stopped the people of Zimbabwe to express their wish. If that was the case, Matabeleland would vote for Zanu PF and Mugabe. Tsvangira is try to be a smart loser by pulling out of the race he knew he would now loose. Smart move...but not enough to stop the revolution. All the African countries calling for action on Zimbabwe must be looked in the context of who funds them. When a country like Kenya depends so much on donors, what tune do you expect them to sing? Its sad that we have the same disease in Zambia and Tanzania... Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans and Zimbabweans have the right to control all its resources...and not thugs from UK fronted by Morgan and Tendai Biti.
george shire comment not good
I was very disapointed from what george shire was saying ,he doesnt know whats on the ground here.so many died and disapeared and you can not air your views openly here one party zanu gets publicity only and campaign .we failed to support morgan since he came in we shouldnt be were we are 2dy given full support towards him he is right, most zimboz are ready to die now ,vey fun that you could to the polling station and try to vote for zanu but still find your hand pointing on morgan, we are tied .he has done part for long ,now let the UN, and g8 ,usa ,london take servire action its never too late.why does it seem that the whole world is afraid of zanu.
george shire comment not good
i was bored watching shire saying the zim situation is better than kenya coz very few people died in zim, and that morgan should have also boycotted parliamentarians at stake and that all mdc supporters are aware of the situation of the pull back from the presidentials 2day .he doesnt know what he was analysing coz he is in london not zim the situation is very tense here and why should one candidate only get the publicity and not the opposition not fair at all, after the voting 2dy zanu will be checking on those without ink on their finger and beat them for not voting.at a rally for zanu they say even if we vote him out they wont take it RM will remain till his death so whats the reason for voting better if we dont vote and wait for the UN and G8 AU to take action
A Very Scared & Frustrated Zimbabwean.
I would like to thank all the reporters and anchors at France 24 for their continous efforts in bringing us the latest stories and headlines. I am living in Zimbabwe and would just like to ask why nobody such as UN, Britian, USA, AU, SADC and the likes are not doing anything to help us. Yes it's fair and fine having all these meetings and talks claiming to be looking at the next step but tell me honestly are these meetings accomplishing anything. Nothing ever comes out of them. It is also incredibly annoying when we watch the news and people are trying to speculate what is going dpwn on the ground. Believe me it is nothing compared to how we are so called "living".
We have all signed all sorts of petitions for this and that but do they get noticed? No. People as of today are now being forced to vote. If you don't, it's quite simple you get tortured, beaten or killed. Tell us then what is worse. So many people say that it is better to be killed than to be under their control. Now since nothing is being done I would like to know how all the World Powers that be would feel once they see all the dead bodies pilling knowing that they should've done something about it. By then it will be too late.
I do apologise if it seems I am venting my anger towards anybody. I sincerely don't mean to be however this situation has gotten so bad over the years that people have just about had as much as they can take. We are at breaking point now and are begging people to help us. I would greatly appreciate it if you could publish my enail or perhaps even get somebody to respond to it. I would really like to hear your views.
Yours sincerely