Saturday, April 19, 2008

Recount in Zimbabwe Begins. Is Tsvangirai Headed for Life in Exile?

Well, it's been three weeks since the election in Zimbabwe and no results for the Presidential election. Instead, a recount has begun in the parliamentary election for 23 districts, 22 of which were won by the opposition MDC. The MDC believes the recount will over turn at least 16 of those districts. It would be sufficient to restore ZANU-PF's majority in the Zimbabwean Parliament. In an interview with The Globe & Mail, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he is not planning to return to Zimbabwe for fear of being arrested and possibly worse. "Do you want a dead hero?", Tsvangirai asked. Tsvangirai is currently in South Africa. Should the recount overturn the election results I wonder what will happen. I thought the general strike might do it but the response to it was tepid at best. If the MDC is resigned to ZANU-PF regaining their majority I am sure the rest of the country is as well. Under those circumstances, I suspect those who can will leave the country as they have been doing and settling in South Africa and to a lesser extent Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana. If Tsvangirai ends up in exile so will many Zimbabweans.

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