STOLEN ELECTIONS

Written by James

Sunday, 30 March 2008 07:44

State terror machine stalks streets

BY CHIEF REPORTER
HARARE

Thousands of soldiers moved out of barracks on the eve of the elections in a clear demonstration of Robert Mugabe's fear of losing power and his last-ditch attempt to terrorise Zimbabweans into voting for him and Zanu (PF).
At least 40 armoured vehicles, including four Israeli-made water cannon, anti-riot trucks and six armoured personnel carriers weighed down with heavily armed troops, swept through the street of Harare on Thursday and Friday in a massive show of force.
Heavily armed police units put on an ominous show of force throughout Harare's high-density suburbs, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo and Mutare.
Three Chinese-built MiG-21 fighters streaked over farmland in Mashonaland West and in Masvingo in an intimidatory display of force.
These actions underlined the threat being spread by ruling party thugs: If President Mugabe loses the election, we will go to war.
Defence sources said at all military barracks in Harare soldiers were moving out in small convoys of three lorries at a time. At Cranborne Barracks on the outskirts of the capital, soldiers were reportedly towing a BM-21 multiple-rocket launcher, a fearsome weapon that can fire 40 122 mm rockets in six seconds.
On the eve of the election army generals repeated warnings that they would not accept Mugabe's defeat, but it is unclear whether junior ranks would obey an order to subvert the will of the people.
Earlier Mugabe had made a chilling warning through State media warning the MDC against Kenya-style post-election riots.
If they make a disturbance like in Kenya, you will see, he said. We are not joking. We warn the MDC, if they want to put a rope around their necks, that is okay, he said.
In a final rally to wrap up his campaigns in Nyanga, Mugabe, who has earlier threatened that he would never allow the opposition to rule, appeared to backtrack on his earlier threats.
When you join a political fight by way of an election, you must be prepared to lose, he told his supporters in Nyanga Thursday. If Zanu (PF) wins, you must accept it, if you win we will accept, Mugabe said.
Simba Makoni, his backer Arthur Mutambara and main MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai announced on Thursday a joint strategy to forestall vote rigging.
We believe there is a sophisticated and premeditated plan to steal this election from us, Makoni told reporters at a press briefing. The integrity and credibility of this election is gravely in doubt.
ZDN spokesman Goodson Chibaya said they had received information suggesting that at Thornhill Airforce Sports Club on Thursday, trusted officers in the army, airforce and police filled in multiple ballot papers that have been airlifted by a helicopter to Squadron No 7 at Manyame HQ and later to Mount Darwin. The operation was masterminded by the Central Intelligence Organisation.
In a last minute bid to shore up his flagging electoral fortunes, Mugabe handed out 450 cars to striking doctors on Thursday in what opponents say was a brazen vote buying campaign.

Mugabe pays US$2,5 million to rigging experts
BY ITAI DZAMARA
HARARE
President Robert Mugabe made a down payment of US$1 million to an Israeli company with Mossad connections at the beginning of this month to help him rig the elections. The balance of U$1,5 million is due as soon as Mugabe has been sworn in for another term, The Zimbabwean on Sunday can reveal.
Details of the deal were leaked to us on Friday from the president's own office, substantiating reports by the MDC of Israeli involvement in the elections.
Impeccable sources revealed that the spy agency had initially asked for US$3 million to secure Mugabe another term but ended up settling for US$2,5 million after negotiations with Mugabe's emissaries, including Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and CIO bosses.
The RBZ made the funds available and will also pay the balance, according to senior bank officials. Gono was said to be in a series of meetings on Friday when we called for comment.
The Mossad-linked company's role includes ensuring that Mugabe safely settles in for another term. The source said this involved working with Zimbabwe's security forces to deal with any protests that might follow the stealing of the election.
Meanwhile two ZEC commissioners told this paper that in the run up to yesterday's voting, the commission had been forced to cede authority on the management of the elections to a team comprising the Mossad company and the CIO.
Early last week the rigging team was firmly in control of all aspects of the elections, and attempts by some commissioners to protest against this fraudulent arrangement were crushed by the CIO.
According to our sources, the majority of commissioners were not aware of the rigging details, except three (believed to be CIO) appointed by the Zanu (PF) regime.
They said the major tool used by the rigging team would be doing something with the extra ballot papers, which nobody even is sure how many they are.

Comments (0)

Only registered users can write comments!

Uk retailers