Political Tension Increases in Zimbabwe
4/9/2008 7:45:00 AM
STORY: [General Tendai Biti, MDC Secretary General]: The Movement for Democratic Change claims its leader Morgan Tsvangerai won the recent presidential election ending 28-years of rule by Robert Mugabe. Nine days on, his ruling Zanu-PF party still hasn't published the official results. MDC leaders are trying to force the issue in court. They say Mugabe is using the time to prepare for a run-off against Tsvangerai and are urging other African countries to intervene. [General Tendai Biti, MDC Secretary General]: Both leaders are laying low but in a newspaper article Tsvangerai said Zimbabwe was on a "razor's edge" because of Mugabe's bid to cling to power. With inflation at 100,000 percent, unemployment above 80 percent and serious food and fuel shortages Zimbabwe's prospects aren't looking good.
CHAN:
In Zimbabwe, 11 days have passed since the March 29 presidential elections, but there’s still no word on who won. Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he won the presidential vote and should be declared president immediately.
The streets of Harare remain calm but behind the scenes - says the opposition - trouble is brewing.
"There has been a complete militarization of Zimbabwean society since the 29th of March 2008. There has been a complete, if you like, rearming and remobilization of all the pockets of fascism that were used to subject our people to the terror, the deaths that we saw in 2000 and 2002."
"We are saying to our fellow Africans in the African Union and in SADC (Southern African Development Community), don't wait for dead bodies in Mbare, don't wait for dead bodies in Dotito, intervene now when forces of objectivity are still dominant, intervene now when we have not gone too far."
