“Zimbabwe Today” by Robb WJ Ellis (28-06-2008)

The other thing that caught my eye, was the use of red ink. It looks like blood, doesn’t it?

Not happy with a sham election, it would appear that the head of the Zimbabwean security forces are gearing up to completely wipe out the opposition from the MDC. I refuse to call the MDC party the ‘opposition’ party as they are ‘the party of choice’.

“Zimbabwe™s Joint Operations Command has hatched fresh plans to launch a massive crackdown on the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) if talks of a government of national unity (GNU) fall through.

The JOC, a think-tank of top security services chiefs which brings together the army, police and intelligence chiefs, met in Harare Monday, a day after MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai announced he was withdrawing from Friday™s sham and fraudulent poll.

Top security sources told The Zimbabwean that the meeting did a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis of the run off, which legal pundits say was illegal at law, and lacking all the essential components of a credible election.

The Zimbabwean understands that the decision that the election proceeds despite Tsvangirai™s withdrawal was made in that meeting.“

We can expect the number of violent events in Zimbabwe to escalate as the different force seek some sort of retribution following the low voter turnout.

The situation in the country remains tense and as the good Zimbabwean people attempt to pick up the strands of their lives following the ‘one man sham’ election, we can expect the situation to become worse.

Inflation is now gauged at… wait for it… 9 million percent!

“The JOC also summoned Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede and instructed him to deny Tsvangirai a passport, after pages in his travel book had run out.

Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono was also summoned to the strategy meeting, which started at 9 am and ended at 5pm, and asked to provide expert opinion on the potential impact of the expanded European Union sanctions.“

I remember when I had an application for a new Zimbabwean passport in, and was issued with an ETD (primarily because the company I was working for had a contract with the WHO) and the passport office gave me hell because the page for the ETD was used up before the expiry date. They refused to issue me a new ETD, leaving me effectively stranded for the thick end of two months…

“There were fears in the JOC that proceeding with the poll would provoke more international condemnation and worse sanctions.

But hardliners in the security thinktank took the stance that they were proceeding with the poll because “we are under sanctions anyhow.“

It hardly matter now, because the sham is done and dusted. Now the JOC will concentrate on the MDC…

“The Zimbabwe crisis has already been put on the agenda of the UN Security Council, which has expressed alarm at the violence in Zimbabwe and called on Mugabe to call off the poll. The AU meets in Egypt Monday, and the Zimbabwe crisis is high on the agenda.

Both the UN and AU Security Council are under pressure to recognize its responsibility to override sovereignty given the emergency situation in Zimbabwe – to prevent genocide, arrest war criminals, and restore democracy because the Mugabe government was either unable or unwilling to do so.“

“Despite threats from Mr Mugabe’s thugs to beat those who refused to vote, many polling stations in the capital Harare had not seen a single ballot cast three hours after opening.

Others remained virtually empty and many of those who did vote simply spoiled their ballot papers.

Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader, announced he was pulling out of the election last weekend in protest at weeks of violence against his supporters. But the regime said the poll would go ahead anyway.

Mr Mugabe’s militiamen warned they would launch “Operation Red Finger”, targeting anyone whose left little finger is not stained with the ink used to indicate who has voted.

But observers estimated that turnout was between a quarter and a third of the level seen in the first round on March 29.“

More proof that Mugabe is not holding back. Even though he has managed to ‘win’ the election and influence the few voters that did brave the environment and stole the election.

“One man in Harare‘s suburb of Belvedere spoiled his ballot in protest against the regime. Holding up his coloured finger, he said: “It’s just to be safe. I have got to vote, they have been saying ‘We will spill your blood if you don’t’.”

But he marked two crosses on his ballot paper, beside both Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai: “You have to put two crosses, if you leave it blank they will fill it in themselves,” he said.

Others did not even bother going to the polling booths. A waiter with a red fingertip admitted: “I did it myself, with a ball-point pen. It’s better to be safe.“

Can we blame people for feeling like they are just waiting for the axe to fall. Many people are thinking that the best route for them is out of the country! Legally or illegally…

“The 84-year-old leader proclaimed himself “healthy” and “optimistic” as he cast his own vote in Harare.”

‘Optimistic’ in a one man sham election? Give me a break!