http://www.isn.ethz.ch/news/sw/#11029
Zimbabweans vote in calm but tilted elections ISN SECURITY WATCH (01/04/05) - Zimbabweans went to the polls on Thursday in parliamentary elections that pitted the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) against President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party - but observers say pre-election irregularities had heavily tilted the playing field in favor of Mugabe. As the country waited for initial election results on Friday, Mugabe said he remained confident that his party would win the two-thirds majority it was seeking in parliament. Drawing on past experience, many observers predicted widespread irregularities to ensure the victory of the Zanu-PF. Local reports said certain measures were used in an attempt to discourage opposition supporters from voting, such as putting army officers in charge of polling stations and the use of transparent ballot boxes to make easy the identification of opposition voters. In addition, reports said the estimated 3.4 million Zimbabweans residing abroad were disqualified from voting, as it was believed that many of them supported the opposition. Thanks to government restrictions on its activities and members and repeated acts of vote rigging, the MDC has failed to replace the Zanu-PF in recent elections. Mugabe's regime did ease some of the restrictions on the opposition prior to Thursday's elections, however. President Mugabe has been in power for 25 years, since the end of the white minority regime of Ian Smith. His ruling party has been challenged by the main opposition group, the MDC, since its formation some six years ago. Mugabe accuses Western leaders, particularly British Prime Minister Tony Blair, of supporting the MDC. He characterized Thursday's vote as the "anti-Blair election". Western leaders have criticized the Zimbabwean president for his anti-democratic rule - especially for his largely violent seizure of thousands of white-owned farms. President Mugabe called the MDC "traitors" in his electoral speech on Tuesday, and accused its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, of running to the British "like a puppy wagging its tail, campaigning for sanctions, and asking to be installed as leader". His subsequent remark that an MDC victory would "not be tolerated" prompted Reginald Matchaba-Hove, director of the Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network, to request the continued presence of foreign observers in Zimbabwe for at least a week after the elections for fear of government-organized violence. On Tuesday, Luxembourg's deputy foreign minister, Nicholas Schmit, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, dismissed the elections as "phoney". Schmit also hinted at EU measures against the Mugabe administration after the elections and pledged to put the issue on the agenda at the next meeting of the EU Council of Ministers. Corruption and misrule are blamed for the shrinkage of Zimbabwe's economy by about 50 per cent since 2000 and its estimated unemployment rate of 70 per cent. (By Dr Hooman Peimani in London) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
