MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

He had won the previous election but the old ruler and dictator, Robert Mugabe, refused to relinquish power. After massive economic boycotts that hurt the nation badly, Tsvangirai and Mugabe agreed to a power sharing model where Tsvangirai would be the prime minister but Mugabe would be president with the military, police, and justice departments reporting directly to the President, so Tsvangirai ended up as no more than a figure head. He and his followers reasoned that at the next election Mugabe would be ousted. But Mugabe with the police and military did not allow Tsvangirai to campaign in the rural areas where Mugabe had most of his voting strength. And then on the day of the election, Mugabe’s henchmen disenfranchised over 1 million voters in the cities where Tsvangirai had his voting strength. So Tsvangirai could not improve in the country side and his vote count in the cities was much less than previously, so Mugabe claimed to have won the election.

Tsvangirai’s party had won the election of 2008, but the Dictator Robert Mugabe refused to relinquish power. Sanctions against Zimbabwe by most of the world pressured Mugabe and Tsvangirai to accept a power sharing arrangement. However, Mugabe once the sanctions were lifted reneged on the agreement. He still controlled the state media which was, according to the 2008 agreement, to be completely non partisan. What this quotation shows is that the dictator maintained his control over the military, the police, and the media and with that really controlled the country.

Tsvangirai’s party had won the election of 2008, but the Dictator Robert Mugabe refused to relinquish power. Sanctions against Zimbabwe by most of the world pressured Mugabe and Tsvangirai to accept a power sharing arrangement. However, Mugabe once the sanctions were lifted reneged on the agreement. He still controlled the state media which was, according to the 2008 agreement, to be completely non partisan. What this quotation shows is that the dictator maintained his control over the military, the police, and the media and with that really controlled the country.

He had won the previous election but the old ruler and dictator, Robert Mugabe, refused to relinquish power. After massive economic boycotts that hurt the nation badly, Tsvangirai and Mugabe agreed to a power sharing model where Tsvangirai would be the prime minister but Mugabe would be president with the military, police, and justice departments reporting directly to the President, so Tsvangirai ended up as no more than a figure head. He and his followers reasoned that at the next election Mugabe would be ousted. But Mugabe with the police and military did not allow Tsvangirai to campaign in the rural areas where Mugabe had most of his voting strength. And then on the day of the election, Mugabe’s henchmen disenfranchised over 1 million voters in the cities where Tsvangirai had his voting strength. So Tsvangirai could not improve in the country side and his vote count in the cities was much less than previously, so Mugabe claimed to have won the election.