Zimbabwe’s election day inspires fear

The World

The polls have closed in Zimbabwe — it is expected that President Robert Mugabe will hold on to power, after all, it was a one-man runoff. The opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, pulled out last week over widespread political violence. His name remained on the ballot though. Many Zimbabweans boycotted the vote, and many dismissed it as a farce.

When Robert Mugabe cast his vote, he told reporters that he was feeling good.

Morgan Tsvangirai describes the election as a sham, organized by a desperate dictatorship. He urged the world not to recognize the results.

Some election observers say that militias loyal to Mugabe were going door to door, forcing people to vote. They say Mugabe supporters were writing down serial numbers from the ballots to record who people had voted for.

The government spokesman called these assertions blatant lies.

The World’s Jason Margolis reports for "The World."

PRI’s "The World" is a one-hour, weekday radio news magazine offering a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. "The World" is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston. More "The World."

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!