Voters in Zimbabwe go to the polls Saturday and
Sunday to choose a new parliament. In the final days
before the election, the country's two major political
parties are campaigning frantically. Leaders of the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change are accusing
the government of using intimidation and violence to
hold on to power. Meanwhile, President Robert Mugabe
has been holding campaign rallies around the country
to drum up support for his ruling party, ZANU-P-F.
TEXT:
/// SFX: SINGING, HELICOPTERS--ESTABLISH & FADE ///
Hundreds of flag-waving Zanu-P-F supporters are on
hand to greet Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as
his helicopter touches down in the town of Chivu,
three hours' drive south of Harare. The singing,
dancing horde escorts the president into the local
stadium, where roughly four-thousand people are
waiting to hear him speak.
It is Mr. Mugabe's final rally of the day. As in
earlier campaign stops, he vows to accelerate the
government-backed seizure of white-owned commercial
farms.
MUGABE ACT IN SHONA--ESTABLISH & FADE
Mr. Mugabe says Zimbabwe is for black people, and he
praises the war veterans leading the farm-seizure
movement. Land reform is a central issue for ZANU-P-F
this election season. The party's campaign posters
and billboards read: "Land is the economy, the economy
is land."
Elsewhere in the speech, the president mocks white
commercial farmers, his political opponents, the
British government and the news media.
His comments -- especially those about the farm
seizures -- are met with rousing applause and cheers
from the audience. But some in the crowd do not wait
to hear the end of Mr. Mugabe's speech. Halfway
through his remarks, a steady stream of mostly young
people is headed for the exits.
// OPT // But police have shut the gates to the
stadium and refuse to let anyone leave. There is a
lot of pushing and shoving, and when the doors are
cracked open to let a few people out, the crowd seizes
the opportunity. They force the gates open all the
way, and there is a minor stampede as hundreds of
people flood out into the parking lot. // END OPT //
Even in the heart of ZANU-P-F territory, it is hard to
tell how much support the president has. He is facing
the first serious challenge to his grip on power since
taking office 20 years ago. The opposition Movement
for Democratic Change is fielding challengers to ZANU-
P-F candidates in each off the 120 constituencies up
for grabs this weekend.
Earlier (Thursday) in Harare, M-D-C leader Morgan
Tsvangirai held his final news conference before the
voting begins. He told reporters only serious
election fraud could keep the M-D-C from winning an
outright majority in the new parliament.
We know for instance that [for the] M-D-C to win
40 seats, there would have been serious rigging
to have taken place. And they know that we
know. So that possibility will be open to legal
challenge. // OPT // But even if M-D-C wins,
we will still maintain that the elections were
carried out in an environment which is not free
and fair.
Mr. Tsvangirai also told reporters another M-D-C
supporter has been beaten to death, allegedly by pro-
government militants. More than 30 people -- mostly
opposition supporters -- have been killed in election-
related violence since February.
http://www.bdnetpro.com/
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