Elections in Zimbabwe

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How unfiar/rigged will these elections be? Apparently, there has not been the same bloodshed/violence that marred the elections in 2000 and 2002, but will they really be represntative of the people's will? Once known as the breadbasket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe has started importing corn meal as the land reforms of 2000 have been unprodcutive.

Africa has many problems but the demogogic tyranny of Mugabe, once a respected moderate and hero of the War for Independence, and Zimbabwe's subsequent political and economic back-sliding leave me feeling depressed. What do you think the near and far future hold for this country?

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 31 March 2005 16:29 (twenty-one years ago)

mugabe's withholding food as an election tactic, distributing it only to supporters. from what i've heard and read there's not much hope for anything suprising here, i don't think.

― jermaine (jnoble), Thursday, 31 March 2005 16:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Why do they have elections so often? It's a curious paradox.

― Sven Basted (blueski), Thursday, 31 March 2005 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Apparently, the U.S. considers it to be one of the world's six "outposts of tyranny".

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 31 March 2005 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Is there a Sublet of Mayhem to go with the Axis of Evil and Outpost of Tyranny?

― Jimmy Mod Has Returned With Spices And Silks (ModJ), Thursday, 31 March 2005 16:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you seen the In-Law of Malevolence, it's very comfortable and there are no stairs!

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 31 March 2005 16:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Sven,

2000 - Parliamentary elections

2002 - Presidential elections

Here's an interesting bit of political flimflammery:

"In the last parliamentary vote in 2000, the MDC picked up 57 seats while ZANU-PF got 62, but under Zimbabwe law, the president directly appoints 30 members of parliament, meaning that the ruling party was able to command a strong majority in parliament."

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 31 March 2005 16:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Mugabe's a thug. Now matter what your feelings on the white farm ownership, that was a part of the 1980 peace settlement, that these people could keep their family farms (and the country would have their technical know-how, etc). Then he nationalized alot of the farms. Rhodesia was a huge exporter of food and tobacco, now they can barely keep themselves fed.

― andy --, Thursday, 31 March 2005 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

mugabe's one of those dudes who i won't be shedding any tears for when he's done.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 31 March 2005 18:38 (twenty-one years ago)

eight years pass...

so mugabe's party winning in what would be charitably described as a "fishy" election

i read this nyt article but all i could think was "hats!"

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/03/world/africa/mugabes-party-zimbabwe.html?hp&_r=0

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/08/03/world/03zimbabwe/03zimbabwe-articleLarge.jpg

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 2 August 2013 21:46 (twelve years ago)

Listening to BBC this morning, it sounds like there was fishy stuff all around, but despite that, he by all accounts did well. The piece pointed out that even horrible dictators can draw a plurality.

― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 2 August 2013 22:01 (twelve years ago)

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