How Zimbabweans votes and "not votes" have thus far been counted.

international | politics / elections | other press

Friday April 01, 2005 20:14

by linesman

"the kettle might call the pot black"

Zimbabwe yesterday celebrated an election which polarised democratic opinion in that state, and amongst Zimbabweans 25% of whom are outside the country and were denied a vote.

In addition observers from Non governmental organisations such as Amnesty had previously declared the vote would be "rigged".

As it stands, an election described by Mr Mugabe as the "fairest anyone anywhere could hope for", on average less than 47% have exercised their right to vote, in secret, regardless of ethnicity, gender, creed or socio economic class...

This young woman (24yrs) did not choose to exercise her first right to vote.

There has been comprehensive coverage of the lead-up to this election in this article and the comments highlighting many of the issues of concern to human rights organisations, acitivist organisations, media organisations and neighbouring South Africa at the nature of the Mugabe campaign which included the closure of sites, papers, expulsion of journalists, and the alledged use of "food aid" to starving rural areas as coercion -
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68538&condense_comments=false&save_prefs=true#comments

The Mugabe regime have claimed victory:-
in their words :-

http://www.zimbabweherald.com/index.php?id=42116&pubdate=2005-04-01

Latest confirmed results
MDC 31 (+2 unofficial) seats (the opposition)
ZANU PF 27 (+5 unofficial) (the ruling party)

Constituency Tot Voters MDC votes ZANU PF votes Zanu Ndonga Indeps Spoilt Tot votes %turnout

MASH WEST (13 seats)

Chegutu
electorate 52592
8286 MDC
16542 ZANUPF
546 spoilt votes
25374 cast ballot
48% participation.

Chinhoyi
electorate 42368
5773 MDC
9462 ZANUPF
323 spoilt votes
15558 cast ballot
37% participation.

Hurungwe East
electorate 54463
6090 MDC
19670 ZANUPF
792 spoilt votes
26552 cast ballot
49% participation.

Hurungwe West
electorate 54947
7663 MDC
17295 ZANUPF
903 spoilt votes
25861 cast ballot
47% participation.

Kadoma
electorate 44988
10023 MDC
8740 ZANUPF
308 spoilt votes
19071 cast ballot
42% participation.

Manyame
electorate 41245
8312 MDC
15448 ZANUPF
543 spoilt votes
24303 cast ballot
59% participation.

Mhondoro
electorate 37744
4015 MDC
13966 ZANUPF
453 spoilt votes
18434 cast ballot
49% participation.

Ngezi
electorate 38229
2404 MDC
16801 ZANUPF
564 spoilt votes
19769 cast ballot
52% participation.

Zvimba North
electorate 46496
4834 MDC
16140 ZANUPF
673 spoilt votes
21647 cast ballot
47% participation.

Zvimba South
electorate 42719
2439 MDC
17797 ZANUPF
769 spoilt votes
21032 cast ballot
49% participation.

This is representative of the voting pattern throughout the country. The highest participation thus far recorded is 57%. The average has been less than 50%.

The opposition are now considering whether to take their complaints to the street. Doubtlessly they will find strongest support in urban areas where they did very well winning most of their seats and improving their share of the votes cast last time.

Those who want to have a say on this are invited to
the various fora to do so, yesterday protests by anti-Mugaba groups were held at the embassies of the republic of Zimbabwe globally with "mock polling booths" set up.

The BBC have set this one up-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/4394779.stm

If ZANU PF claim 66% of the seats, they may change as planned the constitution.

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Comments (7 of 7)

one surprise in the election results

Fri Apr 01, 2005 22:04

for analysts is the return of Jonathan Moyo the former "mildly dissident" ZANU PF information minister-
Mr Moyo is an academic and is certain to play a role in any future justification of the Mugabe regime if the opposition and 50%+ who for various reasons did not vote decide now to engage in the political system.
http://people.africadatabase.org/en/person/3063.html
africa database is a wiki, you can change it if you no more = please do.

Meanwhile the usually reliable at reporting cricket rag, but for ever damned for publishing the oik Kevin Myers Sunday Telegraph of Engurland has seen two of its journalists arrested yesterday "in their school uniforms" and they are expected to be deported back to Engurland soon. Human rights observers are aghast noting that democratic participation in Engurland is very low, and amnesty international has cited Engurland on many occasions for breaches of the United Nations "how to be civilised charter".

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1450116,00.html

Our theme for June is "compare & contrast"

by in my cricket hat

Thu Jun 09, 2005 11:49

Thus I hope you are paying attention to the Bolivarian revolution which has brought the campesinos and miners of Bolivia within sight of control of their destiny and resources and has been termed "anarchic civil war" by the established media.

Compare & Contrast :-

Today Zimbabwe begins a two day general strike.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4075064.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4586559.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4586559.stm

Bolivia does not have internet restrictions, we can get information into and out of bolivia, nor do we have language problems. Zimbabwe has a monitored internet and in the background thread to the contested and seriously flawed elections which I wrote from 8th of Feb. 2005 to March 27th 2005 you will find details of the shortwave radio network which is used to extend trans-national solidarity to the opposition in Zimbabwe.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68538

One tiny little item was left out of these threads as they were spun, and that was the "handshake" which Richard Mugabe (a devout cathurlick) received from Charles prince of Cymru when he attended the funeral mass of JP2.
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69302
Mugabe is not allowed enter Europe, but circumvented the prohibition by being invited by the Vatican State. The Holy See therefore holds the Zim regime in higher esteem than the Blair regime which hates mister Mugabe.

If you're an ordinary zimbabwean or bolivian, you don't really care on a day to day basis whether or not you stand more of a handshake from the Pope or the British PM. You just deal with it.
Corruption. -- oh yes there's that.
Exploitation. - well now that's trade.
Politics of Retribution - ooooo? what's that?

I thought I'd remind ye all of Zim's last election day.

by iosaf [still in the cricket hat: dirty business is cricket, - the Irish were wise to stay away from it mostly for so long

Mon Mar 26, 2007 19:58

Since the great news is - (isn't it?) that a regime "re-organisation" is on the cards.
Yippee say you and just over half a million internet users in Zimbabwe. But will this new regime fulfill the wishes of those Zimbabweans who carried "make Mugabe history!" plackards during the MPH walk which we remember because it worked.
Quite.
World politics and African affairs are just like cricket - a sordid nasty affair done by the type of people who are well heeled enough to be amateurs. But until they traded in the white clothing for the flourescent corporation sponsored jumpsuits - you didn't see how political cricket could be. Anyway...

Just before the election which my article above reported, the leader of the opposition (whom you may have noticed or heard about due to his cracked skull) had something quite the opposite of endearing to say at a supporter rally in Highfield township in Harare. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, told a jubilant crowd of 25 000 on the 27th of March 2005 (exactly 2 years ago for you who are bad at time) that he would jail the corrupt elite surrounding President Robert Mugabe. Oh well.... fighting words.....

"I will have the keys," said the then 52-year-old opposition leader. "I will throw them away."

Tsvangirai vowed then that full investigations would be carried out into acts of violence and human rights abuses and the culprits would be punished.

I'm not for throwing away any key. Leave it somewhere safe for a while - mis-place it even for a few centuries - but never ever throw it away. A good key is like a diamond - in the words of De Beers "forever". Unless of course you do strange things to it on the neutrino level of quantum. But you wouldn't get away with that in your garage or local squat. oh no. Your lecky bill would attract attention for one & recently blinded neighbours would lead to the end of your experiments before anyone read those papers you intended to someday shame the dullards academy into admiration with.

I'm all for full investigations of acts of violence and human rights abuses.

I'm all for them, because like most of ye - I've never seen one and I'm curious to know what they're like.

I'm all for internet freedom in Zimbabwe & the immediate repealing of all laws governing internet activity, infringements of rights to expression and opinion and association on the internet.

I'm all for cheap, cheerful and accesible internet access - coupled to educational projects if need be & I'm sure lots of people in Europe and the North America would like to send recycled computers to help create one of the most advanced IT populations on the continent.
I'm sure indymedia (((i))) africa and her pals are upto the challenge of doing their thing. Who knows? maybe Zimbabwe too could be ar oscailt by 2008

I'm all for a nice retirement package for Dick Mugabe complete with as many visits to the Pope as he wants - I'm sure some arrangement can be arrived at, & would suggest asking cardinal Solano or is it Sodano to do the paperwork.

I'm all for round table talks- great things.

I'm all for a high powered and enabled bunch of eco-heads with appropriate equipment to sniff, poke, weigh and appraise up to 5 ecodisasters - only and only if there is sufficient funding and will at international level to enforce moritoria (plural of moritorium you know) and for god's sake save the effin whales. again that could be a round table issue & not really merit the "bold type".

Oh almost forgot to mention!!!! (silly me) freedom of movement for all people between South Africa and Zimbabwe regardless of........................ how do we put this?........................melanin?...............................passport?............ origin will do. Freedom of movement ought not mean freedom of trade. But we could call a concession somewhere in there.

news updates from Zimbabwe this fine Wednesday.

by iosaf

Wed Mar 28, 2007 14:38

Morgan Tsvangirai has been arrested this morning in Harare at his party HQ along with other members of MDC. simultanously in another part of town Dr Dick Mugabe met with his politburo to discuss his plans to stay in power till 2010 & see if he can still get his wish list past them*.

The former colonial power (UK) has condemned the arrest, and managed to get that condemnation in a fe minutes before the EU whose presidency Germany has demanded immediate access to Tsvangarai.

The background stuff to the arrest is a conference in Tanzania - by the 14-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) which is giving them the opportunity to discuss the Zim problem.

Where can they go on this?..........What's in it for them?...........How can Zim's problems be sorted?

* which is pretty much how Dr Dick Mugabe's politiburo see it too. Where can they go on this? The plucky doggie is 83, all their power & privilege rests on the plucky doggie staying alive. In 27 years as is typical we have not really seen any other top dog who could take his place. So wrap it up now.....or constitutionally (just be funny) in 2008 or give the doggy what he wants - make it worse on themselves in the long run - 2010.

Zanu PF have lost majority in the parliament - after days of waiting one result comes in.

by cricket hat

Thu Apr 03, 2008 01:39

We don't have an active thread on this year's rigging of the Zim elections. But the news last hour seems to suggest that (like the last Scottish election) the results have been rigged in a way which will stave off immediate high profits in the arm trade, twitters on either the diamond markets (in the case of Zimbabwe) or the black market sale of nuclear trident missiles by a third world country (in the case of Scotland) restore faith in democracy & vote rigging amongst black people from Florida to the new pentacostal doomsday cults of western Africa.

President Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has taken 97 of the 210 seats, while opposition parties have won 109, the Zimbabwe Election Commission says.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7326968.stm

They still haven't released the result of the presidential vote.
His name is Mugabe.
A year ago, we were all excited that there was going to be a regime re-organisation.
3 years ago we were all excited that there was going to be a regime change.
28 years ago loads of people were all excited that there was going to be a regime change.
I met Mugabe 27 years ago. He was very black & I was very young. He didn't recognise me.

it takes so much for it all to stay the same

The rules of Cricket are notoriously gnostic, naturally so boring a game dulls critical faculties

Thu Apr 03, 2008 23:04

"............Police in Zimbabwe have raided a Harare office of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), sources inside the country have told the BBC. The MDC said rooms were searched but none of its officials were there. In a separate incident police arrested two foreign journalists - one of them a reporter for the New York Times - in a raid on a hotel in the capital city. Tensions are high with election results delayed and the MDC claiming it has defeated President Robert Mugabe. Reports said police searched a number of hotel rooms used as offices by the MDC. Brian Hungwe, a Zimbabwean freelance journalist in the capital, Harare, says the raid is believed to be linked to the MDC's announcement of presidential poll results ahead of the Zimbabwe Election Commission, which is illegal........." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7329682.stm

here's how the New York Times has reported the arrest of its journalist Barry Bearak :-
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/world/africa/04zimbab...login

here's the "reporters without borders" page on Zim, they noted the barring orders on many journalists towards the end of March to cover the election & regime change aftermath, but then obviously got distracted into trying to throw the Olympics. Their last contribution was March 26th http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26334 Perhaps they could redeem themselves?

_____________________________________

Now if it might be true that in a country of comparable post-colonial history that a great leader has taken the decision to resign earlier than would be wise for his party & thus ensure continuation of a one-party state with mere trappings of participative democracy, it is also true that Dr Mugabe has left it too late. You get that with septic boils. Lance the fuckers too early & you don't take enough care & the bacteria & puss (yep it makes you want to gag - doesn't it?) spreads & bingo you've boils all over. Leave the fucker till after every vulture fund holder has planned a collapse or civil war plan & everyone from far far away land to Vauxhall cross knows why MI6 didn't take him out - & the economy is too fucked for even the now post-Darfur discredited ambitions of the AU to deal with.....

It's just not cricket.

Dr Mugabe may take part in a Run-Off presidential selection.

Fri Apr 04, 2008 23:23

beautifully suggestive........

I reiterate point 6 of my gurglings from the rule book in the comment written above 26/3/07.

A retirement package for Mugabe with freedom to run-off and visit the pope as often as he likes. Continuing my cautionary analogy on when to "lance the septic boil". Allowing Mugabe this run-off selection thing, seems like the only sensible step to avoiding the hemorrahgic septicemia (poisoning of the blood complete with it breaking the skin in explosive open sores) which freakily under certain conditions can result from leaving boils on a body politic headed by a man who is 84 years of age unheeded.

The vulture funds & arms traders are circling & this weekend it should be clear that the failure to deal with the Mugabe legacy shall long merit a prologue chapter to the failure to deal with Darfur.

Let's hope the Zims have the wisdom to see that if those boils burst now, and that gore will infect all of them long before we think about distinguishing ZanuPF from MDC........

the way we so thoughtfully discern our Shia from our Sunni.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7329856.stm
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jaGkiD_oeuNCWUEr7YyX...8A1G3

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How Zimbabweans votes and "not votes" have thus far been counted.

Comments (7 of 7)