I must confess that I am not one of the optimists that Mr. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe will accept defeat and hand over power to Morgan Tsvangirai. I knew for sure that Mugabe would lose but would never agree to leave. Early results show that Tsvangirai, the presidential candidate of the Movement for Democratic Change has won about 55% of the vote and Mugabe 38%. Several of Mugabe's ministers, including the justice minister, have lost their seats to the opposition.
Since the tyrant saw the handwriting on the wall, he has sat on the release of the results that had been ready since Saturday. He is said to be conferring with his military apologists on how to stop the opponents from taking over power. The security chiefs had earlier claimed they would not work with any other leader apart from Mugabe and had already deployed soldiers and policemen on the street to ward off any election victory dance by the MDC.
Although Mugabe is treading on a familiar terrain-something he has been doing in about three decades- plunging his country into ruin and despair, he is not alone in this macabre dance of shame. Mwai Kibaki, an old horse in Kenya used the same tactic when he saw that Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Party had thrashed him without redemption in the December 27, 2007 poll. Just as the Zimbabwe election commission is doing, the Kenyan results were released in trickles and largely tampered with to favour the man who had already lost.
Now, it is clear that the MDC in Zimbabwe has done to Mugabe what the ODM did to Kibaki in Kenya a few months ago. It is time for African politicians to begin to think about the magic behind 'orange democratic', movements and 'revolution' and learn some lessons from it. Perhaps, they can contact Victor Yushchenko, the Ukraine leader, on what Orange Revolution launched him into political limelight against all odds.
Since the tyrant saw the handwriting on the wall, he has sat on the release of the results that had been ready since Saturday. He is said to be conferring with his military apologists on how to stop the opponents from taking over power. The security chiefs had earlier claimed they would not work with any other leader apart from Mugabe and had already deployed soldiers and policemen on the street to ward off any election victory dance by the MDC.
Although Mugabe is treading on a familiar terrain-something he has been doing in about three decades- plunging his country into ruin and despair, he is not alone in this macabre dance of shame. Mwai Kibaki, an old horse in Kenya used the same tactic when he saw that Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Party had thrashed him without redemption in the December 27, 2007 poll. Just as the Zimbabwe election commission is doing, the Kenyan results were released in trickles and largely tampered with to favour the man who had already lost.
Now, it is clear that the MDC in Zimbabwe has done to Mugabe what the ODM did to Kibaki in Kenya a few months ago. It is time for African politicians to begin to think about the magic behind 'orange democratic', movements and 'revolution' and learn some lessons from it. Perhaps, they can contact Victor Yushchenko, the Ukraine leader, on what Orange Revolution launched him into political limelight against all odds.
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Though 'official' results are yet to be released the opposition is already claiming a win.
Inspite of all the rumours of rigging it is clear to everyone that Mugabe is no longer wanted by his people. Lets hope he makes a quick exit rather then cling on to the seat of power in his usual dictatorial fashion.
The cases of Pakistan, Kenya, United States have demonstrated how elections offer hope to a people fedup of how they are being governed. Whether right or wrong, this is their just right. This is their country.
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