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Zimbabwe Update: Violence, Tension, and Accusations |
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As Zimbabwe’s electoral crisis shudders into a fourth week, domestic and international tensions are running high. At least 10 people have been killed in election-related violence since the vote on March 29, over 3,000 have been forced from their homes, and the government has detained about 400 opposition supporters.
The government is still refusing to release the results of the presidential elections, and a “recount” threatens to reverse the opposition’s parliamentary victory.
Electoral officials on Saturday began recounting ballots for a couple of dozen legislative seats being challenged — an exercise that could overturn the opposition’s majority win. Most of the seats being recounted were declared for opposition candidates, including in Mugabe’s home district of Zvimba.
[Opposition spokesman Tendai] Biti said the recount was rigged and the ruling ZANU-PF had tampered with tally sheets and ballot boxes.
“They created fresh ballot papers,” he said. “It is quite clear the dictatorship will do everything … to try to reverse the people’s victory.”
On the international front, tensions are also running high. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has openly accused Mugabe of fraud. African leaders are looking to South African President Thabo Mbeki to provide leadership, with mixed results. And Kofi Annan, whose achievements in Kenya are looking (i say this cautiously) more durable as of late, is also calling for a greater regional and international response.
“Where are the Africans? Where are the leaders and the countries in the region? What are they doing? How can they help resolve the situation?” he told journalists in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
“It’s a serious crisis that will impact beyond Zimbabwe and we do have a responsibility to work with them to find a viable solution,” said Annan, who met with Biti on Friday.
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