Elections in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe moves and chooses the familiar
register: To remain in office, the despot has once again resorted to
threats, vote-buying and election fraud. And yet there are
opportunities for a fresh start in the southern African country. By
Marc Goergen

Actually, everything is like the last time six years ago. Zimbabwe
elects its President, and again, incumbent Robert Mugabe for election,
and again the now 84-year-old tried everything, to anticipate the
outcome.

With free corn are lured thousands to his rallies, the aging dictator
wasted fertilizer, cows, tractors, and increased as a surprise move
last massive salaries for soldiers, teachers and civil servants. The
Election Commission is staffed with willing followers, banned the
independent press, as well as Western analysts and journalists, the
constituencies are ruthless to the needs of the ruling party cut, it
is threatened, tortured, murdered, and to risk despite everything no
democratic accident, ordered one precaution than three million ballots
already more than necessary. The army leadership has said, meanwhile,
we salute them no other than President Robert Mugabe.

And yet there are indeed opportunities that Mugabe despite vote buying
and electoral fraud to win this time. For the 28th Years reign of the
former freedom fighter is the once-thriving Zimbabwe, the "Jewel of
Africa" ​​as late Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere once called it,
on the edge. Mugabe expropriated since 2000, most white farmers left,
the economy is in freefall. 2007, it shrank by seven percent. An
estimated 80 percent are unemployed, electricity there is usually only
an hourly basis, the drinking water supply is partially collapsed,
register signs of famine relief organizations and the life expectancy
for women is 34 years with the lowest in the world.

The hyper-inflation of more than 100,000 percent make normal life
impossible. Sometimes the prices are increased several times per day.
Talking to people in Harare or Bulawayo invariably hears the same
complaints. How to pay the school fees of children? How to come to
work when there is no petrol and no driving or buses? How to pay for
the food? Anyway: How to find something to eat?

Mugabe since last fall in panic ordered the traders to halve their
prices, they are reluctant to replenish their stores again - even if
they could. Empty shelves everywhere in between people who wear
plastic bags full of worthless Zimbabwean dollars with him. In
January, the Central Bank, a 10-million-dollar bill put into
circulation. But for the chestnut-brown paper with a pretty dam sure
there is not even a loaf of bread.

Only remittances from abroad, many families still alive. A quarter of
all Zimbabweans, about three to four million live now outside the
country. Most in neighboring South Africa, without a steady job or
home, any time at risk of deportation. Sometimes churches are their
only protection. In the Johannesburg Central Methodist Church about
1000 people live on, sleep in corridors or on pews. In the air hangs a
pungent mix of sweat, urine and waste, it is coughed, cried
geschnäuzt, even rapes and murders investigated the huddled miserably
in the house of God Community home already.
Mugabe's power is waning

Poverty, inflation, an unprecedented exodus - all this shakes Mugabe's
power. But only since February this year in his former finance
minister Simba Makoni broke away from him to run as an independent for
president, it also threatens to collapse. For years, the now
58-year-old Mugabe, Makoni part of the system - today, he asserts, to
have tried before, to convince Mugabe by another policy. "But Mugabe
takes criticism in general was not," he said stern.de

Makoni poses as a reconciler. He wants to normalize relations with the
West. He also relies on contacts from his time as Secretary General of
the SADC regional economic community. A withdrawal of the land reform,
but he plans any more than he condemned the ruling Zanu-PF. "The
government is no shortage of good ideas, they were not implemented it
properly."

Simba Makoni is apparently dissatisfied by senior ruling party
supports - though so far hardly anyone dares from cover. Zimbabwe's
powerful Vice-President Joyce Mujuru and her husband, retired General
Solomon Mujuru, are attributed to the Makoni camp.

For the second opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, Makoni,
however, remains just "old wine in new bottles". Tsvangirai was the
candidate of the "Movement for Democratic Change" (MDC) had begun in
the 2002 election against Mugabe and had officially reached 42
percent. After a correct choice, he would have won. Last year he was
arrested and beaten. The image of his maltreated head once again made
the world attention on Zimbabwe - and made him the hero of the
resistance. His leadership, however, is controversial. It has not been
able to capture a renegade faction of the MDC again. Their leader,
Arthur Mutambara, now supports Simba Makoni. Tsvangirai himself
refuses to cooperate with Makoni.

This keeps the split opposition so far. In addition, Tsvangirai and
Makoni fish at the same voters. While Mugabe can still count on
ordinary voters from the country, set both Tsvangirai and Makoni also
formed on the townspeople. The despot is just down for the count -
knocked out But not yet.
A second ballot is likely

What does all this mean? Probably no clear winner, but a second ballot
with Tsvangirai or Makoni on the one hand, Mugabe on the other.
Probably no major unrest, most recently in Kenya - even if Mugabe is
declared winner. Too many Zimbabweans have left the policy already
frustrated the back. And Zimbabwe's powerful neighbor South Africa
will likely remain silent even again. Meanwhile, President Thabo Mbeki
still refuses to criticize Mugabe openly. He is rather silent on
democracy. He has so far failed miserably.

Really sure but in this election is hardly anything, except:
Democratic, they will not

UN Security Council condemns violence in Zimbabwe

The violence against the opposition had a "free and fair election" in
Zimbabwe made "impossible," says the statement adopted unanimously by
the UN Security Council. The Secretary General of the United Nations,
Ban Ki-moon, calls to postpone the runoff election for the presidency.

The UN Security Council has condemned the violence of the Government
of Zimbabwe against opposition supporters. The making of President
Robert Mugabe's government and the violence emanating obstruction of
opposition a free second round on Friday, "impossible," it said in a
Monday evening (local time) unanimously adopted declaration.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on the authorities in Zimbabwe
to a shift in the runoff election for the presidency. "There was too
much violence, there was too much intimidation. An election under
these conditions would lack all legitimacy, "said Ban.Der election day
stay there, however, said Zimbabwe's UN Ambassador Boniface
Chidyausiku.
More articles
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Zimbabwe: Mugabe threatens war

"This would deepen the divisions in the country and only produce
results that can not be credible," Ban said, however. The Security
Council urged the government to "stop the violence to settle political
intimidation, to end the restrictions on freedom of assembly and
release detained politicians." The 15 states represented in the UN
Security Council adopted the declaration only after hours of hard
bargaining.

Ban Ki-moon: "There was too much intimidation,"

"Untrustworthy results"

Previously, at the insistence of South Africa was a bill has been
defused, in which it was said that the results of the first round on
29 March would be a basis to form a government in Zimbabwe, if it come
to any second ballot. In the first ballot was opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai received a majority of votes, according to official
figures, but missed the absolute majority.

Tsvangirai had withdrawn from runoff on Sunday. He justified this step
with the massive increase in violence against opposition supporters in
the country. Since the first round of the presidential election, 86
supporters of his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had been
killed. Tsvangirai holds even for security reasons in the Dutch
embassy in Harare.

Tsvangirai: "declare null and void"

Was being held at the election on Friday, Zimbabwe's UN Ambassador
Chidyausiku said after the meeting of the UN Security Council. He had
taken note of the Declaration on the future of Zimbabwe will, however,
determined by the population of the country.

Tsvangirai on Monday called for the cancellation of the presidential
election. The international community must ensure that the election
would be "null and void," said he said in a telephone interview with
U.S. television network CNN.

Then a new ballot must be held "in a free and fair atmosphere." Mugabe
accuses Western countries to prepare with "lies" an invasion of
Zimbabwe. "Britain and its allies tell many lies about Zimbabwe, for
example, that many people die," Mugabe said, according to the
state-run newspaper "The Herald" on Monday at a campaign rally in
Chipinge. These lies were used to "justify their invasion of
Zimbabwe."

He is deeply impressed by the people of Zimbabwe

View over a beautiful but poor country: Peter Ackle, Neuenhof doctor,
during his stay in the south of Zimbabwe.

The 59-year-old general and addiction medicine is from Peter Ackle
Ehrendingen deeply impressed by the people of Zimbabwe and of the work
is being done by Solidarmed and supported. inflow of Fränzi

"Africa has always fascinated me," says Peter Ackle, a specialist in
general medicine and medical director of the Department of Addiction
Medicine in Neuenhof. And actually, he had played for years with the
idea of ​​making a profit in Africa once used as a doctor.

After visiting several hospitals in Uganda, northern Kenya and Gabon
(Lambarene), Peter Ackle has committed this year for a few weeks as
part of Solidarmed (Swiss Organization for Health in Africa) in a
hospital in Zimbabwe.

The Silveira's Hospital, which pays for basic medical care to over
150,000 people, is led for almost 10 years ago by the Swiss doctor
Christian Seelhofer. "The hospital has 150 beds, together with a local
doctor and the local Christian Nurses Seelhofer also manages 80 to 100
patients daily outpatient basis," says Peter Ackle.

Most people in the catchment area of ​​the hospital are
self-sufficient and very poor, many have barely enough to eat, there
is no electricity in their round huts. "To get to the hospital, the
patients and their relatives mile-long march to take into account,"
says Peter Ackle.

Is "That's too many protracted illness because they are only treated
late. Tuberculosis, HIV and malaria are the three most common serious
infectious diseases that can be adequately treated here. Alone in the
clinic of the hospital-Silveira are supervised over 3000 AIDS
patients. "

This countryside hospital, whose infrastructure Solidarmed significant
support, be set up very well under the circumstances. "It represents a
district hospital at us with departments of surgery, obstetrics,
internal medicine and pediatrics.

In addition, include an orphanage and huts for women in labor to the
hospital, where pregnant women live, until they bring their children
to the world. "Attached is a school for nurses, which also
participates actively in the supply.

There is a list of essential drugs, which are generally available.
"Nevertheless, the ongoing initiative of managers with respect to a
well-functioning pharmacy is a perennial favorite. Thanks to the
well-maintained basic infrastructure (laboratory, X-ray, ultrasound,
operating rooms, anesthesia with competent human resources) are often
made accurate diagnoses can be treated quickly and conclusively. "

Peter was also impressive Ackle the fact that nurses regularly visit
local villages and huts, and on-site using a specially written
diagnosis and treatment of the book just to provide simple and
reliable scheme to patients.

The use of physicians in hospital-Silveira were valued by the
population, so Ackle: "People are very grateful and take seriously the
advice of doctors.

However, since the ancestral cult is alive and well, it takes the
doctors and some flair to convey medical statements so that they are
consistent with the lifestyle of the patient and can thus be followed
properly. "So, you move between ancestor worship and modern medicine,"
says Ackles. "In Silveira Hospital is a very good job," states the
doctor Aargau.

Particularly impressed him was the respectful attitude of doctors and
staff over the population. "You do not appear as patronizing <Retter>,
but help where it is necessary to bind and patients and relatives in
the responsible one."

"Difficult for me was not the simple life in Zimbabwe, but a lot more
coming back," says Peter Ackle. "The huge contrast between the poor
people who need daily to fight for the essentials, and prosperity here
with us, was between the base and the super-medicine, almost
overwhelming," looks back Ackle. And sometimes he longs for the rather
meager life in Zimbabwe, where there were few distractions and thus an
unimpeded access to the real essence.

Vice President Joyce Mujuru

Mrs Joyce Mujuru is at present the Vice President of Zimbabwe.