news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7389446.stm
Zimbabwe is too violent to hold a presidential run-off, the head of a South African observer mission says.
"We have seen it, there are people in hospital who said they have been tortured," said Kingsley Mamabolo.
The head of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has reportedly said the run-off could be delayed by up to a year.
No date has been set for the second round between President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, which should be 21 days after the official results.
These, announced last Friday, said that Mr Tsvangirai gained more votes than Mr Mugabe but not the 50% needed to be declared the winner.
Mr Tsvangirai, however, says the results were fixed and insists that he did pass the 50% threshold.
He has not said whether he would take part in a run-off, citing fraud and alleged state-sponsored violence against his supporters.
Mr Mamabolo did not say who was behind the recent violence but pointed out that both side was accusing the other, so there was no doubt whether it was happening.
Farm-workers have borne the brunt of the violence
"You cannot have the next round taking place in this atmosphere; it will not be helpful," he said.
Up to 40,000 farm-workers and their families have fled their homes because of the violence, a trade union official has said.
"They have been attacked by a group of militias wearing army uniforms," said Gertrude Hambira, General Secretary of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe.
"They have been accused of voting for the opposition. Most of them are either on the roadside or sheltering at some farms."
Much of the political violence in recent years has been on white-owned farms but all but 400 of these have been seized by the state and redistributed.
Church leaders in the western Matabeleland province say they have had to stop prayer meetings after some priests were abducted and tortured by ruling party supporters.
Zimbabwe is too violent to hold a presidential run-off, the head of a South African observer mission says.
"We have seen it, there are people in hospital who said they have been tortured," said Kingsley Mamabolo.
The head of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has reportedly said the run-off could be delayed by up to a year.
No date has been set for the second round between President Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, which should be 21 days after the official results.
These, announced last Friday, said that Mr Tsvangirai gained more votes than Mr Mugabe but not the 50% needed to be declared the winner.
Mr Tsvangirai, however, says the results were fixed and insists that he did pass the 50% threshold.
He has not said whether he would take part in a run-off, citing fraud and alleged state-sponsored violence against his supporters.
Mr Mamabolo did not say who was behind the recent violence but pointed out that both side was accusing the other, so there was no doubt whether it was happening.
Farm-workers have borne the brunt of the violence
"You cannot have the next round taking place in this atmosphere; it will not be helpful," he said.
Up to 40,000 farm-workers and their families have fled their homes because of the violence, a trade union official has said.
"They have been attacked by a group of militias wearing army uniforms," said Gertrude Hambira, General Secretary of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe.
"They have been accused of voting for the opposition. Most of them are either on the roadside or sheltering at some farms."
Much of the political violence in recent years has been on white-owned farms but all but 400 of these have been seized by the state and redistributed.
Church leaders in the western Matabeleland province say they have had to stop prayer meetings after some priests were abducted and tortured by ruling party supporters.
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The Zimbabwe situation is kinda fucked
Sun, May 11, 2008 - 12:27 AMEngland has been trying years for a regime change
Now they may have their chance, but is change necessarily good for the people in the long run. Is change meant to enable foreigners to take advantage of the mineral rich country instead of government. -
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Re: The Zimbabwe situation is kinda fucked
Sun, May 11, 2008 - 8:34 AMKiller, why do you think Mugabe deserves to stay in office? -
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Re: The Zimbabwe situation is kinda fucked
Sun, May 11, 2008 - 8:39 AMit's just another version of Jihad vs. McWorld ....
Jihad vs. McWorld is an analysis of the fundamental conflict of our times: consumerist capitalism versus religious and tribal fundamentalism.
Global capitalism run rampant whose essential driving force is nihilistic, at its root destructive of traditional values as it seeks to maximize profit-taking at virtually any moral or religious or spiritual cost; and by religious, tribal, and ethnic fanatics whose various creeds are stamped by intolerance and a rage against the "other." The paradox at the core of this bold book is that the tendencies of both Jihad and McWorld are at work, both visible sometimes in the same country at the same instant. Jihad pursues a bloody politics of identity, while McWorld seeks abloodless economics of profit. Belonging by default to McWorld, everyone is compelled to enroll in Jihad. But no one is any longer a citizen.
books.google.com/books
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