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Mugabe Inaugurated After "Spoiled" Election
by jordan | June 29, 2008 at 05:24 am | 713 views | 15 comments | 56 recommendations
Mugabe's inauguration has taken place:
The hastily organised ceremony confirmed Mr Mugabe's sixth term as president - extending his 28 years in power.
Results showed Mr Mugabe won 85% of the vote, but many ballots were spoiled.
After the ceremony, Mr Mugabe called for talks with the opposition, whose leader withdrew from the run-off vote citing violence against his supporters.
But southern African election observers said the poll had "failed to reflect the will of the people".
Update: Mugabe will inaugurate himself later today, claiming a landslide victory in an election in which he was the only candidate.
The Mail & Guardian has the best headline, though:"Mugabe declared winner in sham poll"
President Robert Mugabe will be inaugurated within hours, a government source said on Sunday, after an election which African observers said was unfair and scarred by violence and intimidation.
The Pan-African Parliament observers, one of the few groups able to monitor the ballot, said the one-candidate vote on Friday was so flawed it should be rerun.
Results have not been released, but Mugabe said he was heading for victory in the poll, dismissed as a sham by much of the world.
The source said Mugabe's swearing-in for a new five-year term was imminent: "The ceremony is going to be at 3pm [1pm GMT] and the invitations are being sent out."
The inauguration would allow Mugabe to extend his 28 years of unbroken rule before attending an African Union (AU) summit in Egypt on Monday where he has vowed to confront his critics.
Robert Mugabe has said he is heading for a "sweeping victory" in Zimbabwe's unopposed run-off presidential poll.
Officials have scheduled his inauguration for 1300 GMT on Sunday, even though official results are yet to be published.
He was the only candidate after the opposition boycotted the vote amid reports of violence and intimidation.
African observers of the poll have called for fresh elections to be held, saying the vote was not free or fair.
Also see recent commentary by generaldecay and Barry Artiste.
After claiming victory in an election in which he was the only candidate, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is preparing for the swearing-in ceremony that would begin his sixth term in office.His nation is in ruins, with political violence (instigated by his party, ZANU-PF) and the economy nearly non-existent outside of the black market.
Official sources say Mr Mugabe won by a huge margin in the election, which has been widely condemned as a sham.
Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the election amid claims of violence and intimidation by government supporters.
Meanwhile, Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Watangula has said sanctions against Zimbabwe are unlikely to work.
Votes from Friday's presidential run-off poll in Zimbabwe - boycotted by the opposition - are still being counted.
Reports suggest a large number of spoiled ballot papers.
Zimbabwean journalist Brian Hungwe says that in some cases, voters expressed their anger against the violence by calling Mr Mugabe a murderer on the ballot papers.
Many Zimbabweans deliberately defaced their ballots in a discredited presidential run-off with President Robert Mugabe as the sole candidate, and voted only out of fear, the head of a foreign observer mission said on Saturday.
Contrary to the state-run newspaper's report of a "massive turnout" in Friday's election, Marwick Khumalo, head of the Pan-African Parliament observer mission, said the turnout was "very, very low".
He also said many of those who did vote cast their ballots for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who pulled out of the race after an onslaught of state-sponsored violence against his Movement for Democratic Change.
Previously:
Tsvangirai rejects ballot
June 29, 2008 at 05:24 am by jordan, 713 views, 15 comments
Crowd Power
MastaBaba
Netherlands
Gregor Rohrig
Johannesburg, South Africa
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (15)
at 07:02 on June 28th, 2008
And this surprise WHO? Certainly a country of complacents who say one thing and do exactly the other do not deserve our help. If they want change,it is they, not us who have to fight for it. Mugabe of course fixed the election, one can be sure, but recent CBC reports of throngs of flag waving supports, you can be sure fear death if not showing support, should stick to their guns and revolt if they want change. For if they won't stand up to him, they certainly won't stand beside us if a Western Invasion results. Iraq and Afghanistan are good examples.
at 07:12 on June 28th, 2008
jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff. Oh great, now the Good Stuff flag appears.
at 07:27 on June 28th, 2008
jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff.
These dictadors will do everything they can do to stay, not a surprise at all.
at 07:33 on June 28th, 2008
jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 07:35 on June 28th, 2008
jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff. He also came in last! LOL
at 08:28 on June 28th, 2008
Sounds like Cuba. The left should applaud, no? They applaud Fidel everyday and they admire Che. Well this is their legacy.
at 10:54 on June 28th, 2008
This day was foreseen since the election was announced; seems like it was just a matter of how it all went down.
(There's no real connection with Cuba, though- the two nations have different histories and political situations. Whereas everyone wants a piece of Cuba, all of Zimbabwe's neighbors find the ground very interesting whenever Mugabe is mentioned)
at 11:38 on June 28th, 2008
Cuba and Zimbabwe vowed on to render support to each other to better resist the economic sanctions imposed by western countries. Mumbengegwi thanked Cuba for its support and said he believes Cuba has the capability to "transform defeats into victories" and resist the economic blockade by the United States. source
Cuba and Zimbabwe share Marxist leaders how is there no connection?
at 15:02 on June 28th, 2008
jordan, what a farce...
at 17:55 on June 28th, 2008
jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 01:40 on June 29th, 2008
Now pay attention, which countries will congratulate the "winner".
at 07:14 on June 29th, 2008
A great companion piece, provided by Kwapi V.
at 08:13 on June 29th, 2008
I thought I just heard on the TV, Mugabe got more votes than there are Zimbabweans, so I guess the saying, Vote and Vote often is par for the course in this country.
at 08:59 on June 29th, 2008
jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 22:33 on June 29th, 2008
jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff. The maine problem with Mugabe is that he was a Hero that freed his Country, a Hero that has gone mad though! What makes it so difficult for most African leaders to go against him since he is still perceived by many African as a Hero!
Mandela was the first Former African state Man to openly go against Mugabe, however no States Man in power today has done the same or as strongly as Mandela did, in part out of fear of riots with in their own Country since Mugabe has some what of a large support with many people outside of Zimbabwe, It is difficult to remove a Hero from Power even though he has gone mad!