Dictators don’t tend to lose elections voluntarily
While the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission drags its heels, and the MDC turns to the courts and the international community, a headline caught my eye: Only mass mobilisation can defeat the Mugabe dictatorship.
At last, I thought to myself.
In it, the International Socialist Organisation makes a few important points:
1) Zanu PF will remain in power by hook or by crook, unless otherwise compelled by mass mobilisation.
2) The people’s power route is only possible if there is “the urgent establishment of a united and democratic front of the commons and democrats, including organised labour, residents, informal traders, youths, students, women, progressive civic groups, socialists and other radicals.
3) The behaviour of the regime in refusing to announce the election results has more than vindicated the position of those who said that without a democratic constitution and mass mobilisation, the March election would not deliver change.
4) The MDC’s boycotting of the run-off, would be commendable, but is suspect in the circumstances. Instead of mobilising the masses who have overwhelmingly voted for it, … the MDC(T) has focused on calling for so-called “international community” intervention – code words for the Western countries – and sending its leaders on futile regional/international “diplomatic offensives”. Most damning, it is pacifying its members and civic groups by calling for restraint and not doing anything to provoke the regime. The MDC(T) is again going to Mugabe’s courts for relief, giving the regime cover to draw out the dispute and consolidate its positions.
The ISO recommends the mobilisation of mass resistance to electoral fraud, “starting with less confrontational methods that build confidence, such as pressure on the ZEC members to resign, especially those seconded by the opposition, regular mass prayer meetings, cascading into stayaways and general strikes and demonstrations.”
Now we’re talking.
Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 at 3:57 pm
ISO don’t understand the situation… ‘start with less confrontational’… yeah right, like the MDC guys who were this morning remanded in custody till trial? ZEC members to resign… who are they kidding? Any ZEC member who even squeaked would be arrested like the previous ones already jailed for ‘undecounting’! mass prayer meetings? See report from Esther’s ‘Talk back’ on BBC of mother’s church meeting which riot police disbanded. And Oh that nice word ‘cascading’… stayway last week didn’t work because people have to work for a meal each day… strikes and demonstrations… they’ll just be beaten and slammed in jail. These sorts of actions can only work when the police are law-abiding and the law courts work for justice. This is not the situation in Zimbabwe. After at least 8 years of sustained violent responses to any sort of protest, why would it work now? We need AU, SADC and UN negotiators on the ground in Zimbabwe NOW.
Tuesday, April 22nd 2008 at 3:58 pm
22/04/2008 11:59 HARARE, April 22 (AFP)
Arrested Zimbabwe opposition supporters stay behind bars
Dozens of Zimbabwe opposition activists arrested a week ago over a strike to force the release of last month’s presidential elections were denied bail on Tuesday by a Harare court.
Magistrate Olivia Mariga remanded around 30 people, including freelance journalist Frank Chikowore, in custody to May 5, saying their detention would deter potential offenders.
“After careful consideration of sumbissions by both the state and the defence, I came to the conclusion that the accused are not suitable candidates for bail,” the judge said.
“The situation in the country is very volatile. As much as I appreciate the notion of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, it’s necessary that those who are brought to court on public violence charges be kept in custody as a warning to would-be offenders.”
The group was brought before Harare magistrates’ court to face public violence charges in connection with a general strike last week called by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) over the delay by the electoral body in releasing the March 29 presidential results.
Prosecutors say they were behind a series of violent incidents during the strike on Tuesday of last week, including the burning of commuter buses.
As the first group of defendants was being led into the holding cells four more opposition activists were brought to the court on similar charges.
http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=080422115937.412qlrbr.php