Mar 27 2008
Will Zimbabwe’s Elections Be Free and Fair?
GUESTS: Sinclair Roberts, political asylee from Zimbabwe, Gerald Lemelle, Executive Director of Africa Action
Zimbabweans will head to the polls this Saturday in an historic election where President Robert Mugabe will seek to extend his 28-year rule. Capping a politically contentious year coupled with an economy wracked by the world’s highest inflation rates, Zimbabwe’s upcoming elections may be the most pivotal since 1980, when Mugabe first came to power. The Zimbabwean government claims it is in full compliance with electoral guidelines set forth by the Southern African Development Community. Observer teams with the SADC recently concluded that Saturday’s elections will be free and fair. But numerous international organizations such as Human Rights Watch have filed detailed reports questioning this. Independent presidential candidate Simba Makoni, has claimed that despite new electoral equal time laws, the state-run media has denied his campaign advertisements. Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change has noted multiple instances of harassment and intimidation by the state’s security forces. General Constantine Chiwenga, commander of the Zimbabwean army, has already raised eyebrows earlier this month when he told a newspaper that should Mugabe not prevail, he is ready to overturn constitutional order.
Read Briggs Bomba’s blog on Zimbabwe at justzimbabwe.wordpress.com. For more information, visit www.africaction.org.
One Response to “Will Zimbabwe’s Elections Be Free and Fair?”
This report should be the gold standard for reporting on the heart-wrenching story of Zimbabwe. The mainstream media tend to ignore Zimbabwe, and the progressive media often seem embarrassed by the fact that the poster-boy of African liberations struggles has proved to be a power-crazy despot. Having lived in Zimbabwe for six years as the crisis was taking shape, I appreciate the honesty of this treatment. Job well done, Sonali! Keep at it.