Thread: Mugabe's other face

Don't believe for a minute that ZANU-PF and Mugabe are principled democracts. They are political opportunists, and only democractic to the degree that they feel safe in power.

The only reason MDC and Tsvangirai got more votes this time around - as opposed to all previous rigged elections - is because they were intensely scrutinised and their room to manouvre slightly more restricted.

But more importantly, the SADC "reforms" of Zim's electoral process did indeed have positive outcomes. One fundemantel reform of this process - for which we should thank South Africa - was that the votes would be counted at the individual polling stations, and the results immediately published at the local polling stations.

If this had not happened, I can guarantee you that ZANU-PF would have retained its Parliamentary majority and Mugabe the Presidency. Only fools will believe otherwise.

The other thing, of course, is that since they didn't have any other choice, they can now put on the mantle of democrats and parade themselves as democrats, ostensibly to recover their shattered reputations.

Remember: The leopard cannot change its spots.

Is it possible that, somehow, Mr Mugabe deliberately [authorised] his own-appointed Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and other organs of state to [allow] the opposition MDC to win more votes?....

Of course not - he instructed them to do all in their power to ensure a win for ZANU-PF and himself. He didn't say allow them to get more votes because he couldn't. It was out of his hands, not by choice, but because his friends told him that he would have to otherwise he would be finished.