Constitution, you are an idiot. Even if we recognize that Iraq and Sri Lanka are the scenes of injustice, responsible people around the world cannot simply turn their backs on other problems that exist at the same time. People like Dileepan have turned down high paying jobs so that they can make a positive diference in the world. Meanwhile, people like Mugabe are selfishly destroying their countries in the interest of self-preservation. Sadly, Mugabe has failed to deliver the promise of independence to the brave people of Zimbabwe.
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It's been weeks since the election, and still no results have been announced. What will happen?
I think it's hard to forecast what will happen in Zimbabwe. What's important to stress is that the Zimbabwean people have gone to the polls now in the last few elections, which the opposition and civic groups have considered less than free and fair. That notwithstanding, the citizens have continued to abide by the rule of law, and to go to the polling booth and vote and express their free will as much as possible.
Do you think the opposition won outright?
[According to the] independent monitoring groups, Mugabe did not come in first place. Whether or not the lead opposition candidate won the election outright or whether there's a need for a runoff is still in the margin of error, based on their projections and calculations. That much is known so far, and I think that's caught the government by surprise.
If Mugabe clings to power despite losing the election, will the military and his political supporters still stand behind him?
I think it's hard to say, and I can't necessarily comment on what all Zimbabwean people think or what the government or military think. But because of the work of these civic groups in releasing projections, there's some sense of what the elections results probably looked like, and I think the government and the electoral commission need to respect what has happened.
Why were the election monitors so effective this time around, but not before?
Domestic observation of elections is not an easy task. That's why groups like NDI exist, so we can draw on comparative expertise from groups in Peru, the Philippines and other countries in the region and on the continent. It takes time over years to develop the capacity to be able to observe elections and provide some input into the political process. I think the success of the groups in Zimbabwe speaks to the capacity of these groups and the commitment on the part of these people in Zimbabwe who are involved in this effort to make sure by whatever means possible that their will on Election Day is respected.
© 2008
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