June 27 is the date of Zimbabwe's run-off election between long time leader Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Mugabe has been president since 1980, and has proven to be a highly incompetent leader. He is responsible for the starvation of his people by nationalizing white owned commercial farms, and frequently uses intimidation techniques to maintain power.
In this current election, Mugabe's ZANU-PF party has been violently attacking opposition supporters. It was his intention to destroy the opposition party before the June 27 election, and many people have been victimized and displaced in the process. The United States and other Western nations condemn Mugabe's regime.
HARARE -- Widespread voter intimidation and low turnout marked Zimbabwe's one-candidate presidential run-off Friday, further damaging the vote designed to bolster long-time President Robert Mugabe's credibility.
Residents said they were forced to vote, threatened by violence, arson or roving bands of government supporters searching for those without an ink-stained finger.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who withdrew from the run-off citing a campaign of state-sponsored violence, said the results would "reflect only the fear of the people."
"What is happening today is not an election. It is an exercise in mass intimidation," he said at a news conference.
At some polling stations voters are going immediately afterwards to the local ruling party offices to demonstrate with their ballot numbers that they had voted for Mr. Mugabe.
One 25-year-old resident of Chiunguiza south of Harare, told The Globe and Mail: "We have been warned that we will lose our house if we don't vote for RGM (Robert Gabriel Mugabe) so we have to vote. It's not like we want to."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080627.wnewzimbabwe0627/BNStory/International/homeHas anyone been following this?
