Zimbabwe's Mugabe In Election Challenge

Monitors Report Irregularities At PollIng Stations As Leader Faces Greatest Threat To 28-Year Rule

(AP)  Zimbabweans began lining up before dawn on Saturday to vote in the elections that present President Robert Mugabe with the toughest political challenge of his 28 years in power.

While voting was generally reported to run smoothly and without disturbance, there were some complaints of irregularities and minor violence.

The opposition accuses Mugabe of plotting to steal the election.

Tensions rose on Friday, with soldiers and police in a convoy of armored personnel carriers and water cannon patrolling through downtown Harare, the capital, and the security chiefs warning against violence.

Police presence at the polls was heavy on Saturday.

Running against Mugabe are opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, 55, who narrowly lost the disputed 2002 elections, and former ruling party loyalist and finance minister Simba Makoni, 58.

Makoni threatens to take votes from both the opposition and the ruling party.

All three candidates voted early on Saturday, with Mugabe telling reporters he would accept whatever results emerged and rejected opposition charges he had already orchestrated his own victory.

Independent monitoring watchdogs have complained there were too few stations in urban opposition strongholds, and that they have seen the names of dead or fictitious people on the official voting list.

Speaking to AP Television, Tendai Biti, Secretary General of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change, said that there had "been a number of blatant breaches of the law".

"For instance, the fact that our election agents are not being allowed inside polling stations," Biti said.

He said that "in some polling stations there were no ballot papers".

On Friday night, monitors from the 14-nation Southern African Development Community said they had observed "a number of matters of concern," which they did not identify.

Zimbabwe has barred observers traveling from the United States and the European Union, but the U.S. State Department said it had 10 people from its embassy in Harare monitoring the elections.

The economic collapse of what was once the region's breadbasket has been a central campaign issue, with the opposition accusing Mugabe of misrule and dictatorship.

Mugabe, appealing to national pride, blames the West, and claims his opponents are stooges of former colonial ruler Britain.

Zimbabweans are voting in a single day for the first time for president, 210 legislators, 60 senators and 1,600 local councilors.

There are 9,000 polling stations for 5.9 million voters.

"I don't think there's anyone who's going to get more than 50 percent, probably we are going into a run-off," one Harare resident told AP Television.

"I'm indifferent. I don't feel I can vote for anyone. There's no presidential candidate for me," another man said.

Preliminary results are expected by Monday.

In the southern African country that once exported food, tobacco and minerals, Zimbabweans struggle to survive inflation in excess of 100,000 percent, crippling shortages of food, water, electricity, fuel and medicine.

A third of Zimbabwe's population, an estimated five million people, are political and economic refugees.

[stn_sage]

There is great reason to believe that these so-called free elections in this ''democracy'' is going to be nothing more than a farce!

Mr. Mugabe is one of the few national leaders in the world that might eclipse Mr. Bush as worst head-of-state! Americans, be glad you don''t have Mugabe as U.S. president!

[zvenyika-2009]

Mugabe has one option left and that is to fight to the death . Hope there is none . Until the man dies.. He will not let anyone else takeover. The risk to him is too great. Mugabe is afraid he will be tried for his many crimes least of which is Zimbabwe s current state. He will therefore fight to the death.

the struggle in Zimbabwe is now about to enter a new phase.

[keithle1]

Maybe the so-called "white racists" were right. Black Africans can''t rule themselves.

[sinibaldi1]

A canticle and the romance.

When the sunshine
returns in the
light of a gentle
delight, remember
the sound of a
rosy notepaper,
discover the wisdom
in the care of a
beautiful darkness
and so, in the sky,
that delicate dream
will touch your
profile....

Francesco Sinibaldi

[lloydbest1]

Posted by Keithle1 at 04:51 PM : Mar 29, 2008
Oh, I don''t know. RSA seems to be doing OK - for now. And you don''t hear much coming out of Gambia, Benin or Senegal. Not that they''re prosperous by our standards but no one''s going hungry there either as all too many are in Zimbabwe.

Posted by stn_sage at 01:50 PM : Mar 29, 2008
True, but I wonder if His Georgeness is taking notes.

[downsteamjim]

Zimbabwe should be a great place to live. They practice all the policies of liberal governing.

[milesbrown49]

What about Charles Robberts Swart, Jozua Frangois Naudi and all the other presidents of South Africa when South African people were at the height of their oppression. Were they not considered dictators or monsters!!! I wonder how you could bring your pen to write such blasphemies with consciousness. I recall from my readings and recants of my ancestors past down about the horrors the African people survived from real monsters who now with great balls of fire, call great men monsters and dictators. When I think of the load Mugabe has taken on, one that not only will he never in his breathing life get due credit for, he stands to be accused of horrible things by his good, righteous and just acts. {Continued...)

[milesbrown49]

(Continued) I SAY HOW REALLY GREAT A MAN THIS IS!!! What about the Xhosa killings of 1856-57. HOW CAN YOU SAY MUGABE IS A MONSTER WHEN THE HISTORY OF EUROPEAN RULE DICTATES THIS!!!! After all Africans have been through, how do you expect them to just heal. How does one rid his people of the haunting of generations? These people were striped of thousands and possibly millions of years of traditions, trades and crafts erased with pure greed and evilness. These people have been diseased, had their pride ripped from their souls, ripped from their DNA!! These people were separated from their family, stripped from their land, and thrown into poverty, ignorance and oppression. How does he take his nation back and give them back all they lost. IT''S NOT EASY!!!! IT WON''T BE EASY BUT IT WILL BE DONE!!!! (Continued...)

[milesbrown49]

...There will be trials as people have to relearn to farm. There will be trials as the previous oppressor spews his plague on them, poison''s the land, disease the people, use their powers to destroy the economy. Yes, Mugube --- Many of us can see with clarity your plight. Many can see and because they fear your oppressors, they praise you with quiet whispers. You will succeed and lead and many nations shall follow!!!! What about the regime of George W. Bush. It has been a dictatorship. The rule and oppression have been delivered BY manipulation and misinformation FOR Greed!!!

[louiville2]

milesbrown49

Ah HaHaHAhA

Yeah he''s turned a country that use to export food, now cannot feed it''s own people. That people are leaving the country in droves, running for their lives.

Sure he''s right up there with Gen. Butt Naked who bragged that he has killed 20,000 people and sacrificed and ate the heart of an "Innocent child" and Charles Taylor who told his murdering troops to eat the people they killed.

[louiville2]

milesbrown49

"What about the Xhosa killings of 1856-57. HOW CAN YOU SAY MUGABE IS A MONSTER WHEN THE HISTORY OF EUROPEAN RULE DICTATES THIS!!!!"

You mean "the Xhosa Cattle Killing" of 1856-1857? It was not done by whites but was the direct result of a prophecy of a 16 year old. "She claimed that the spirits had told her that the Xhosa people should destroy their crops and kill their cattle, the source of their wealth as well as food. In return, the spirits would sweep the British settlers into the sea; they would also replenish the granaries and fill the kraals with more beautiful and healthier cattle." from Wikipedia.

That stupidity lead to thousands of Africans dying.

Oh yeah it''s always some white guy''s fault. milesbrown49 get a life!

[louiville2]

milesbrown49

"What about the Xhosa killings of 1856-57. HOW CAN YOU SAY MUGABE IS A MONSTER WHEN THE HISTORY OF EUROPEAN RULE DICTATES THIS!!!!"

You mean "the Xhosa Cattle Killing" of 1856-1857? It was not done by whites but was the direct result of a prophecy of a 16 year old. "She claimed that the spirits had told her that the Xhosa people should destroy their crops and kill their cattle, the source of their wealth as well as food. In return, the spirits would sweep the British settlers into the sea; they would also replenish the granaries and fill the kraals with more beautiful and healthier cattle." from Wikipedia.

That stupidity lead to thousands of Africans dying.

Oh yeah it''s always some white guy''s fault. milesbrown49 get a life!