March 25, 2005
WE NEED A NAME FOR THE NEXT REVOLUTION:
Polls show Zimbabwean opposition is gaining strength (JANE FIELDS, 3/25/05, The Scotsman)
LATEST opinion polls from Zimbabwe show President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party as only slightly in the lead with less than a week remaining before the country goes to the polls.Some 40 per cent of Zimbabweans questioned say they intend voting for Mr Mugabe’s party, the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF).
Another 34 per cent will choose the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in next Thursday’s parliamentary elections, a survey of 7,000 voters carried out by Joseph Kurebwa, a University of Zimbabwe political lecturer, showed.
Which means the real numbers are probably closer to 75-25 for the opposition, since people often lie to pollsters, especially in a thugocracy. The Anglosphere and its African friends need to be ready to give Mugabe a shove when he tries to snatch victory from what will be a very obvious defeat. This is a time when Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Colin Powell could make themselves useful.
MORE:
Timothy Goddard has it covered: The Gloriosa Revolution.
However, I believe Mugabe does get to nominate a fairly large percentage of the representatives-- 20 of 150-- plus there are 10 chiefs.
In the 2000 elections, the MDC won 57 seats, almost as much of the vote and seat as the ZANU-PF, but the appointed members put Mugabe over the top. Along with the vote-rigging of course.
It's tough to see how he wouldn't rig it. You're absolutely right that there needs to be attention paid.
Posted by: John Thacker at March 25, 2005 3:51 PMA quick trip - NOW - by Colin Powell to Harare would do wonders!
For God's sake, give Carter a saw and hammer and tell him to go build a house in Alpharetta!
Posted by: John J. Coupal at March 25, 2005 4:25 PMIf Mugabe gets even 20% of the vote, Jimmy would declare him the winner.
But I think the successes in Iraq have made Carter look like (even in the MSM) a blithering idiot again. His Nobel is just gathering dust.
Posted by: jim hamlen at March 25, 2005 8:39 PM