Mugabe Clings And The World Thinks

The UN Security Council hasn't even managed to stand up to Mr Mugabe verbally. Because of resistance from South Africa, Russia and China, the council got no further than a statement regretting that the conditions for a free and fair election hadn't been met.

Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition MDC party was furious that the Security Council hadn't declared the election illegal. The intimidation and violence against the opposition has left an estimated 90 people dead and hundreds injured.

People were forced to vote, on the understanding that if they didn't, the army or security service would know where to find them. Everyone who voted had to dip his or her finger in a pot of pink ink, and anyone without a pink finger could consider their life in danger.

Nevertheless, the polling stations in the capital Harare remained surprisingly empty. This means a significant portion of the population voted with their feet. Opposition supporters coloured their fingers pink themselves with marker pens.

Spoilt ballot papers
Another way to protest of course was to spoil the ballot paper. "Spoilt ballot paper's are Mugabe's worst enemy," says correspondent Bram Vermeulen in Harare. For Mr Mugabe, it's crucial at least to create the impression that he has been legitimately elected. It doesn't matter to him that Morgan Tsvangirai had withdrawn his candidacy to prevent even more violence against his supporters.

Wilf Mbanga of the opposition newspaper The Zimbabwean, published in London, fears that Mr Mugabe will ultimately take no notice of protest votes and the actual turnout. He expects that Mr Mugabe will have himself declared president with 90 percent of the vote.
In the countryside, where there are few foreign observers, there were indeed long queues in front of the polling stations. According to Mr Mbanga the main army and police presence was in the countryside. "People were arranged in alphabetical order in front of the ballot box. If they didn't vote for Mugabe, they would be killed, they were told."

Firm statement
Meanwhile the Western world is doing its best to increase the verbal pressure on Mr Mugabe. The US and EU have said they won't recognise the result of the election. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she is working on a firmer statement from the UN Security Council. But South Africa, China and Russia will undoubtedly continue to block it.

Wilf Mbanga equally expects nothing of the African Union summit on Monday in Egypt. "Don't forget that a number of those leaders have shot their way into government themselves."

Last bullet
And even if there were to be firm resolutions or sanctions, the chief editor of the opposition newspaper doesn't expect that Mr Mugabe will take any notice. The dictator who says only God can take away his power has dug himself in deep. "He'll fight on to the last bullet."

Mr Mbanga thinks only the appalling economic situation can break him. The country now has an inflation rate of 2 percent an hour. But unless the flow of foreign currency into the country dries up completely and Mr Mugabe is unable to pay his generals, he will continue to keep a tight grip on the reins.

by Johan Huizinga RNW translation (mb)- Radio Netherlands, Copyright