Morgan Tsvangirai

Vote for Mugabe, or don’t vote at all

Sophie — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:17:45 +0200

An empty polling station in Bulawayo on Friday morning. Posted by Sokwanele 27 June 08.

Zimbabweans are voting today in what's being labelled a "one-man election". Despite opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulling out of the competition on Sunday, President Robert Mugabe pushed ahead with the run-off between the two men. The opposition has accused Mugabe's ZANU-PF party of using violence to scare people into voting for Mugabe. One of our Observers went to the polls; another dared to stay at home. Here are their accounts of the day's events, told anonymously.

Stop dreaming, Mugabe's here to stay

Sophie — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:54:24 +0200

A campaign poster for Mugabe's party

Hopes for a fair election are over in Zimbabwe after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of Friday's planned run-off on Sunday. But while expectations have been quashed, repressive government violence and spiralling food prices seem to be unstoppable.

After months of waiting, the Zimbabwean people will not get a run-off election between opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and dictatorial leader Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai pulled out of the race on Sunday and is in hiding in the capital's Dutch embassy. Yesterday, the UN Security Council said that a free and fair election would be "impossible". Over 70 Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters are presumed dead and more than 3,000 people have been hospitalised, along with sky-rocketing food prices and inflation heading towards 120% percent week on week (according to the country's daily The Herald).

Would Zimbabwe really be better off without Mugabe?

Julien — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:00:02 +0200

The monster is cornered posted on Flickr by Sokwanele

In their fourth day of waiting for election results, frustrated voters are imagining what their lives might be like after 28 years of dictatorial rule.

Although the word on the street is that Mugabe is about to hand over his Mercedes to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, this is far from certain. Some say that the most likely outcome of the elections is a run-off in a few days' time, buying Mugabe's ZANU party some much-needed time. There are also worries about a deal being done behind closed doors- which would mean both parties are manipulating the electoral process. Nevertheless, our Observers are already imagining a life without the iron-fisted dictator.