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Old April 5th, 2008 #95
Alex Linder
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Join Date: Nov 2003
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A pebble on the road
Wednesday 2nd April 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been an excruciating three and a half days waiting for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to announce the results of the March 29th elections. At the time of writing this letter at 3.30 pm on the 2nd April 2008, the full parliamentary results have not yet been announced. None of the figures for the Presidential, Senate and Local Council elections have been announced at all.

The results are coming out at un-advertised intervals and at rate slower than a snails pace. The waiting has been utterly exhausting, not to mention cause for considerable suspicion but, as we Zimbabweans are so good at doing, we have waited patiently and calmly. After all, we've been waiting for change since February 2000 so a few more hours or days is a mere pebble on our rocky road.

On the evening of the 1st April 2008 after hours of frantic international media speculation about deals, talks and resignations, MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai addressed a press conference. As one, those of us who had access to the broadcast, sat forward in our seats. Mr Tsvangirai's words will go down in the history of this long and painful struggle we are nearing the end of. In part he said:

"I would like to thank the millions who came to reclaim their dignity and invest in the change they can trust. The votes cast on Saturday was for a change and a new beginning. It was a vote for jobs; it was a vote for food, for dignity, for respect, for decency and equality, for tolerance, for love and for trust."

Mr Tsvangirai urged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to proceed with haste in announcing the full results of the election and said that the MDC would be disclosing their own tabulated totals on Wednesday. He said there were no deals, talks or resignations and wouldn't be until all results had been announced officially.

At 1.30pm on Tuesday the 2nd of April 2008 the MDC announced that they had won the parliamentary and presidential elections in Zimbabwe. Speaking at a press conference in Harare, MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti announced the following results based on figures which had been displayed outside polling stations as prescribed by electoral law.

2,832,243 votes had been cast.
99 parliamentary seats had been won by the MDC (Tsvangirai)
96 seats had been won by Zanu PF
11 seats had been won by MDC (Mutambara)
1 seat had been won by independent Jonathan Moyo.

3 further parliamentary seats were subject to by-election and Mr Biti said the MDC were confident of securing victory in these constituencies too.

With regard to the results of the Presidential votes, Mr Tendai Biti announced the following percentages:
50,3% to Morgan Tsvangirai
43,8% to Robert Mugabe
7 % to Simba Makoni

As a result of the above figures Tendai Biti said: "Morgan Richard Tsvangirai has won this election."

Two hours after the MDC had announced victory the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission produced another batch of 11 results which give Zanu PF 93 seats, MDC (Tsvangirai) 96 seats, MDC (Mutambara) 9 seats and 1 seat to Independent candidate Jonathan Moyo. A further 7 results are still outstanding.

Its not clear how this is going to end but what is clear is that the avalanche towards change has started. It may take a few days or even a few weeks but we will continue to wait patiently until we can stand up with dignity and self respect and say that we are proud to be Zimbabweans.

Until my next letter, thanks for reading this update. With love cathy.


"That's the moment you should quit politics"
Saturday 5th April 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

As we stand exhausted and betrayed at this critical moment in Zimbabwe's crisis, it seems pertinent to look back over the last few days and record who said what.

On the 29th March shortly after casting his ballot Mr Mugabe said: "We are not in the habit of rigging... We don't rig elections. I cannot sleep with my conscience if I have rigged,"

On the 29th March, sure that Zanu PF would win the elections, Mr Mugabe said: "We will succeed. We will conquer. Why should I cheat? The people are there supporting us. The moment the people stop supporting you, then that's the moment you should quit politics."

On the 29th March asked if he would participate in a run off Presidential election should the result not be decisive, Mr Mugabe dismissed the suggestion and said: "We are not in the habit of boxing matches here. We knock each other out in the first round."

In an evening press conference on the 1st April MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai said: "Zimbabwe will never be the same again; the people have spoken with one voice. I would like to thank the millions who came to reclaim their dignity and invest in the change they can trust."

In the evening of the 1st April the world media went into a frenzy and reported that a deal had been done and Mr Mugabe was about to step down. The news didn't last long and a CNN reporter said: "What's clear is that nothing is clear."

On the 2nd April at a press conference MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti announced election results based on figures displayed as public notices outside polling stations. Biti said: "Zanu PF have lost this election. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the next president of Zimbabwe."

On the 3rd April, long before the results of the Presidential election had been announced, Deputy Minister of Information Bright Matonga said: "Zanu PF is ready for a run-off, we are ready for a resulting victory. ... we only applied 25 per cent of our energy into this campaign... we are going to unleash the other 75 per cent that we did not apply in the first case."

On the 3rd April the former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said: "If he (Mr Mugabe) wants to come here, the (Malaysian) government should welcome him. If he has lost, he has to accept the decision of the people, that is the best thing he can do."

On the 4th of April, before the results of the Presidential election had been announced, Zanu PF Secretary Didymus Mutasa confirmed that Mr Mugabe would contest in a re-run. He said: "We are down but not out. Absolutely the candidate will be Robert Gabriel Mugabe - who else would it be other than our dear old man?"

On the 4th April, hinting at what will inevitably be the slogan if there is re-run of the election, war veteran leader Jabulani Sibanda said: "It now looks like these elections were a way to open for the reinvasion of this country [by the British]."

And so now we wait. We thought our poor broken country had suffered enough and that at last our prayers had been answered - it seems not - not yet.

Until next time, thanks for reading, love cathy.

http://cathybuckle.com/april2008.shtml