Democracy Zimbabwe Style

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 09 June 2008 12:27:47

I have already commented on the US & UK elections but we also have some coming up in a far more democratic country. June 27th sees the run off in the election for President of Zimbabwe, this makes our own postal votes look highly undemocratic.

In the UK you can apply to cast your vote via post. Therefore you get your ballot paper a few days prior to the elction and vote from the comfort of your own home. No one actually bothers to check that the person voting is actually the person entitled to vote. Therefore the system is open to mass abuse and this has happened in recent elections. Unfortunately this seems to be a common occurence across all parties and especially so in some minority areas.

Contrast this with Zimbabwe. Here your party affiliation is declared on your ID card. Therefore everyuone knows who you support. The government have come up with a great wheeze to insure that they get the vote....

If you want to obtain food you have to do so from government controlled feeding stations. You have to provide your ID card to show that you are entitled to be fed. If you are a Zanu (PF) supporter then you get your food and the ID card is handed back. If you are a supporter of the Movement For Deomcratic Change (MDC) then you have to submit your ID card, which is then retained.

Without your ID card you cannot vote. Could idea, eh?

So now you know why they have stopped the aid agencies from distributing food. This gives the electorate the choice of voting or starving - who would you vote for?

History Today :

AD 68 : Nero commits suicide and ends the Julian-Claudian dynasty of Emperors. No one mentions if a fiddle was involved.

1549 : The Book of Common Prayer is introduced, sparking a revolt by Catholic peasants. They should be happy that a prayer book is issued for the common people.

1672 : Peter The Great is born. It is very foresighted of his parents to name him "The Great".

1815 : The Congress of Vienna is agreed, redrawing the map of Europe after Napoleon's defeat.

1870 : Charles Dickens died today. No one has mentioned whether or not he returns at Christmas to change the lives of Scrooges everywhere.