Dumisani Muleya
3 November 2009
Johannesburg — ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe yesterday held critical talks with his Democratic Republic of Congo counterpart Joseph Kabila on the country's latest political impasse.
Kabila, who is viewed as Mugabe's ally, said last week that the power-sharing government remained Zimbabwe's only option.
The meeting marked a diplomatic escalation by Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders to crack the latest political stalemate in Zimbabwe. Kabila, as Sadc's current chairman, has been pushing for a quick resolution of the impasse which he said was grave but "not out of control".
Zimbabwe lurched into its latest political crisis after Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai disengaged from the C abinet in protest at Mugabe's failure to honour the global political agreement.
Mugabe met Kabila ahead of a Sadc summit on Zimbabwe in Maputo on Thursday. Swaziland's King Mswati, Mozambican President Armando Guebuza and Zambian President Rupiah Banda, who make up Sadc's troika on security and politics, will meet, hoping to help narrow differences between Zimbabwe's leaders. With Bloomberg
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"Hold Talks On Crisis"
What "crisis"?
What "impasse"?
Child of little understanding: Here are some case studies for you. Can you discern the common theme?
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Duplicity and Democracy 102
Case 1:
Elections are held. The incumbent is declared the winner. The west's observers declare the elections fraudulent. The USA-EU-UK axis of * decrees that the elections were "free and fair elections". That there will be no recount (since the extent of the fraud would be exposed) and no re-election (which the West's unpopular incumbent cannot win.) The incumbent declares a win for himself (and his masters.) No killer sanctions are imposed on the country and all lived (un)happily ever after. [Kenya]
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Case 2:
Elections are held. The incumbent is the winner. The West's Observers declare the elections free and fair. The USA-EU-UK axis of duplicity decrees that the elections were fraudulent. The West rejects any recount that is not favourable to its boy. The West denounces the re-election which its unpopular boy - the perennial loser - wouldn't win. The West's stooge boycotts the re-run and the incumbent is declared the winner. No debilitating sanctions are imposed on the country and all lived (un)happily ever after.
The West - that parades 'democracy', 'free and fair elections' and 'rule of law' and a respect for the sovereignty of other countries - declares war on the country by imposing debilitating economic sanctions that starve and kill multitudes of kids and the parents (who are perceived by the West to be guilty (and "terrorist"?) by virtue of having freely exercised their right to vote for a candidate of their preference.) [Zimbabwe]
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Case 3:
Elections are held. The incumbent is the winner. The West's observers declare the elections fraudulent. A recount is called. Widespread fraud by the incumbent's team is exposed. A re-election is called. Under pressure, the challenger boycotts the re-election and the west's incumbent is declared the winner. No debilitating sanctions are imposed on the country and all lived (un)happily ever after. [Afghanistan]
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Case 4:
Elections are held. The incumbent is the winner. The West's Observers declare the elections free and fair. The USA-EU-UK axis of duplicity decrees that the elections were fraudulent and calls for a re-count and a re-election. A re-count does not show cause for concern regarding the integrity of the vote and the declaration of the incumbent as the winner. The West does not denounce- and indeed provide succor and comfort to - the anti-social riffraff who would cause mayhem and loss of life in the country. The people swear in their popular incumbent leader the The West - that parades 'democracy', 'free and fair elections' and 'rule of law' and a respect for the sovereignty of other countries - ponders a campaign of killer sanctions, destabilization and bombings/slaughter of the people(who are now perceived by the West to be guilty (and "terrorist"?) by virtue of having exercised their right to vote their preference.) [Iran]