AT least 25 followers of Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change have been killed in violence since elections on March 29, according to a new toll given by the party on Wednesday.
"We had recorded 25 by yesterday but we think the actual death toll is even higher because there are some farming areas that have been cordoned off by militias and vigilante groups," the party's chief spokesman Nelson Chamisa told AFP.
The MDC previously alleged that 21 of its followers had been killed by supporters of President Robert Mugabe since the general election.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's top electoral official signalled possible further delays to the country's presidential election, saying a run-off poll may not take place within a scheduled three-week deadline.
"We are looking at our state of preparedness and only after that will we be able to say when we are ready and be able to set the polling date," head of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) George Chiweshe told AFP after a meeting of the body.
The country’s laws state that a run-off between President Robert Mugabe and challenger Morgan Tsvangirai should be held within 21 days of the publication of results of the first round, which finally happened last Friday.
"But if the 21 days are not enough we have powers to extend," said Chiweshe, in a hint that the three-week deadline might not be respected.
Sources close to the ZEC and political observers say the election is unlikely to take place in May, with some suggesting it could be organised in July.
Zimbabwe Guardian/AFP
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n/a • n/a Subject: n/a Wed, 07 May 2008 21:16:10 • It is sad to note how desperate for power Tsvangirai and his MDC are.They wish to see their stastistics rise hoping that the world will sit up and take notice.They wish soldiers could just shoot,shoot and shoot.Vampires and trojan horses.Their sponsors do not care who dies as long as they are black.For them it is pay back time.We are being paid in our coins.We dared fight for freedom,when they called us terrorists.We then went further to claim our birth right,making the white world angry.Remember years ago we were whipped like animals of burden.Noone would fight back against the ill treatment by the masters.It is still happening today while Morgan fights Mugabe.Yester year any attack by fellow villagers would be met with knives,axes and stones.Brother fighting brother,contemptously.We are an oppressed people who will lash out at the slightest provocation by our own.That is why we condemn the MDC.Biti defied the law and flew away.Tsvangirai proclaimed himself president and took flight.Chamisa appeared on TV shedding crocodile tears when someone pocked his nose.The people who have suffered from sanctions are dying.They have nothing and still die.They will be poorer even in death.Chamisa churns out the statistics to the world as if he is counting chickens that are being killed by wild animals.He does not address the problem.He does not just tell us that he is doing everything on the behest of his sponsors.These are the consequences of MDC's lack of imagination.They hope to wrestle power from people who spent years dodging bombs,bullets,wild animals,snakes,and diseases.Some were maimed and killed.Killed by those that today work with Tsvangirai as champions of democracy.The young generation lacks patriotism because they care less about events that occured a long time ago.They never experienced war.For them it sounds stupid to talk about imperialism,colonialism and neocolonialism.They cannot see beyond their noses.The white west are controlling MDC.They are creating the troubles in Zimbabwe.We are at war and people will die unless the MDC back down and own up to their ill gotten gains.There are losers and winners in the battle for Zimbabwe.We will see many people dying,because MDC think they can just walk away with the freedom they never fought for.The economy is bleeding because they asked for sanctions.Zidera is causing ontold suffering to the people.Meanwhile Tsvangirai finds safe haven in South Africa.Coward.He should lead from the front.He should defend the defenceless people he cheated into voting for him at the prize of a day's meal.People of Zimbabwe arise.
Steven • uk Subject: this is a tragedy. Wed, 07 May 2008 16:07:10 • What about the 2,500 dying a week of AIDS? You could 'borrow' a few dead there, for the media, surely?
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