Low Turnout, Intimidation, Rigging Reported In Zimbabwe Run-Off Ballot
Epworth, Harare, voter Jason said he voted just to get his fingers inked seeking to avoid being beaten by ruling party militia demandin
Some Zimbabweans went to the polls on Friday to elect their next president, but reports from a wide range of sources suggested that many more stayed home, heeding calls by opposition and civil society leaders to boycott the election or, if compelled to vote, to spoil their ballot rather than vote for President Robert Mugabe, the only candidate still in the race. Turnout was reported to be very lightin many locations while in others reports said militia of the ruling ZANU-PF party forced voters togo to the polls. Some reports said police and other officials looked over voters’ shoulders to make sure they voted for Mr. Mugabe. The European Union and the United States condemned Friday's election, calling it devoid of legitimacy. An EU spokesman told VOA that the election was "hollow." while a spokesman at the U.S. State Department in Washingtoncalled the election a “sham process.” Thegovernment dismissed reports that voters were being frogmarched to the polls. Harare accused Britain and the United States of trying to undermine theelection. Tsvangirai spoke from the Embassy of the Netherlands in Harare, where he sought refuge on Sunday after announcing that his Movement for Democratic Change would not participate in the election due to mounting political violence primarily against opposition supporters. Most observers say the violence has been state-sponsored, though Harare denies. Bulawayo correspondent Netsai Mlilo of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe said someresidents decided to vote late in the day after ZANU-PF militants threatenedviolence against anyone without red ink on their hands as evidence they went tothe polls and cast a ballot. The head of the Southern African Development Community’sobserver mission said his group received reports of irregularities – but Tanki Mothae said otherwise voting went smoothly The observer mission sent by the Pan-African Parliament said the election was marked apathy, and thoughpeaceful in the cities was marred by violence in Midlands province. Marwick Khumalo, head of the African parliamentarydelegation of 60 observers, told Carole Gombakomba that the single-candidate election will be a liability for Mr. Mugabe at the African Union summitopening Monday in Egypt, and for the rest of his tenure.