Three farcical tales of how democracy works in some parts of the world.
In 2008, Comrade Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the dictator who has ruled Zimbabwe ever since its 1980 "liberation" from the evil colonialists, buckled under international pressure to have an election. A strong opposition party was allowed to contest the presidency and other positions.
Considering the levels of pre-election violence and intimidation, Comrade Bob was understandably surprised when early results showed him trailing the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, with a third candidate running a very poor third. So, quicker than you could say "Bob's your uncle", the counting was suspended and, errr, never finished.
A run-off presidential election was scheduled for some month's later, but Mr. Tsvangirai's party, whose numbers had already been reduced by government-sponsored terrorism, decided that discretion was the better part of valour and did not contest. International observers pronounced themselves less than satisfied, so Comrade Bob graciously gave "the teaboy" the position of Prime Minister in a "Government of National Unity".
There's an old Zimbabwean saying that no GNUs is good GNUs, and so it has proved. True to his word, Mugabe has never allowed Morgan to occupy State House, and continues to rule the country pretty much as he pleases. Now he is threatening -- threatening, mind you -- that if Tsvangirai doesn't stop obstructing him, there will be another election!
Zimbabwe is in southern Africa. All those involved in this farce are African, by which I mean black. But Zimbabwe is not the only country to be subjected to misrule by a corrupt and incompetent black dictatorship. See next post.
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