Zimbabwe runoff election announced

The World
The World

(What does the opposition leader say in response to these numbers?) he’s saying they’re fixed and that he won more than 60% of the vote and that the manipulation of 80,000 votes has been deliberately done to bring about a second round of voting. (Is the opposition leader even in Zimbabwe right now?) No, he’s not. He’s been gone for more than a month, right now he’s in South Africa trying to whip up support. (Is the opposition candidate just flat out refusing to take part in a run off election?) That’s his public position and was the position of his party head. That said, amongst part officials in Zimbabwe itself the feeling is a bit different. He cannot afford to back away from a second round of elections because it will look like he’s afraid of a one-to-one race with Mugabe. (Has Mugabe said anything since the elections were announced?) No, not really. (Were there any signs in Zimbabwe that the opposition is being intimidated?) Yes, there’s no doubt such a campaign is being waged. It was noticeable there was no such intimidation in the first round of elections. But now that’s not the case. In rural areas Mugabe’s party has waged major campaigns of intimidation. (Are you surprised that the Electoral Commission even allowed these results to be made public?) The Commission has been a tool of Mugabe’s party. But a couple things changed this time which made it able for the vote to be more transparent.

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