Mapping the election conditions in Zimbabwe
March 27, 2008 2:02 PM Subscribe
Mapping the election conditions in Zimbabwe - A project of Sokwanele , the Zimbabwe Civic Action Support Group. Zimbabweans vote in presidential and parliamentary elections on March 29th.
Truly an awful situation. I have no idea what to hope for on Saturday- if Mugabe wins, ZANU will strengthen its position even further, and Mugabe's eventual successor will be equally corrupt. In the unlikely event that he loses, there will probably be civil war, and the refugee crisis will put Iraq to shame. On the other hand, perhaps once the election is over, his forces won't have to deny food to opposition party members.
posted by gsteff at 8:04 PM on March 27, 2008
posted by gsteff at 8:04 PM on March 27, 2008
There is no "if".
True.
Also, though I don't watch either, I just emailed CNN and the BBC to thank them for violating Zimbabwe's government's ban on foreign media coverage of the election (at least, the government is accusing them of violating it and broadcasting from secret locations).
posted by gsteff at 8:14 PM on March 27, 2008
True.
Also, though I don't watch either, I just emailed CNN and the BBC to thank them for violating Zimbabwe's government's ban on foreign media coverage of the election (at least, the government is accusing them of violating it and broadcasting from secret locations).
posted by gsteff at 8:14 PM on March 27, 2008
Zanu-PF poised to lose control
Sweet Jebus let it be true.
posted by PenDevil at 9:41 AM on April 2, 2008
Sweet Jebus let it be true.
posted by PenDevil at 9:41 AM on April 2, 2008
I've held off posting any more links for a while, because it seems to be flip-flopping back and forth between Mugabe staying, Mugabe going, Mugabe in talks, Mugabe not talking, etc... etc.. without settling.
(Of course, I could just get my news by watching CNN. Then I'd have no idea anything was going on at all and wouldn't have to fret about it)
posted by Artw at 9:50 AM on April 2, 2008
(Of course, I could just get my news by watching CNN. Then I'd have no idea anything was going on at all and wouldn't have to fret about it)
posted by Artw at 9:50 AM on April 2, 2008
This will not end well.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:52 PM on April 3, 2008
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:52 PM on April 3, 2008
I'm kind of suprised that South Africa isn't more vocal on this, regional power that they are. A quick google shows the SA opposition pushing for the goverment to get involved with "mediating" the dispute, but that's about it.
posted by Artw at 3:27 PM on April 3, 2008
posted by Artw at 3:27 PM on April 3, 2008
"Sweet Jebus let it be true."
posted by PenDevil at 3:41 AM on April 3
On a basic level I hope it is too, and it appears to be. I despise Mugabe as much (if not more) as any person with a brain would do.
But really, what will change? I suspect the answer will be a big "nothing." The simple fact of the matter is that politics in that part of the world is fucked far more than in most other parts of the world, and corruption runs deep. See this cartoon for a visual aid, if you don't already get my point.
Put more simply, any country where the politicians wear expensive suits and eat three square meals a day while their people live in entrenched poverty is a system where wholesale social and political change is an unlikely prospect, no matter who is in power.
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:29 PM on April 3, 2008
posted by PenDevil at 3:41 AM on April 3
On a basic level I hope it is too, and it appears to be. I despise Mugabe as much (if not more) as any person with a brain would do.
But really, what will change? I suspect the answer will be a big "nothing." The simple fact of the matter is that politics in that part of the world is fucked far more than in most other parts of the world, and corruption runs deep. See this cartoon for a visual aid, if you don't already get my point.
Put more simply, any country where the politicians wear expensive suits and eat three square meals a day while their people live in entrenched poverty is a system where wholesale social and political change is an unlikely prospect, no matter who is in power.
posted by Effigy2000 at 3:29 PM on April 3, 2008
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Can they do that? My understanding of Zimbabwe was that it was basically fucked, with Mugabe holding all the cards and no kind of opposition strong enough to shift Mugabe him power.
posted by Artw at 4:01 PM on March 27, 2008