Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Zimbabwe's Elections Descend Into Chaos

The London Times is reporting on voter intimidation in the run up to Zimbabwe's elections.

Contestants have deployed mobs of youths to attack each other, and in Harare riot police had to break up the clashes.

Didymus Mutasa, the Anti-Corruption Minister, led a three-day rampage against his challenger, leaving a trial of smashed limbs, burnt-out cars and ransacked homes.

To get their names on to the list, party heavyweights scattered money and food among Zanu (PF)’s poorgrass-roots supporters. Joseph Made, the Agriculture Minister, was reported to have ordered the distribution of maize seed and fertiliser from government stocks. Paul Mangwana, the Social Welfare Minister, reportedly set fire to ballot papers when he saw he was losing.

The selection process was preceded by a purge of senior party officials after Mr Mugabe discovered a plot to foil his plan to make Joyce Mujuru, the loyal head of the party women’s league, the party’s vice-president, thereby ensuring he can manipulate the transfer of power whenever he retires.


Go to the BBC's Africa webpage and you will not find a single article about violence in Zimbabwe's elections.

As of this writing there are 6 articles on the Iraqi elections on the BBC's Middle East webpage.

Oh, I get it! The US isn't involved so there is nothing to report.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No comments:

 
Brain Bliss