A stain on democracy as voters are frogmarched to polling stations

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: The Scotsman

ZIMBABWE'S main opposition leader has urged the world to ignore the country's "sham" election in which President Robert Mugabe was the only candidate.

The poll, marred by violence, was dismissed by Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), as "an exercise in mass intimidation, with people all over the country being forced to vote".

World leaders also condemned the election, as reports came that voters were marched to the ballot box by marshals carrying books with people's names.

Some voters were given pre-marked ballots and ordered to prove they had not voted for the opposition. Their fingers were marked by indelible ink, contradicting the Mugabe claim it was a free and fair election.

Read more: http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/A-stain-on-democracy-as.4232647.jp

[Bush_MUST_Go]

1. Why don't they just use Diebold? Tell them to call bush, he'll hook them up.

[1Hippiechick]

2. Diebold red hot summer sale - order now while supplies last (prices good through Aug 15, 2008)

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/06/diebold-liquida.html

[flashl]

3. Little difference from recent elections in Alabama or Mississippi. nt

[PaulaFarrell]

5. Actually a lot of difference

Seriously. There's a huge difference between it being made difficult/impossible to vote and being threatened with death if you vote for the 'wrong' perspn. That's the government threatening you with death, by the way. Don't trivialize what's happening in Zim, it is horrific.

[flashl]

6. Right, threats no longer occur on election day at or near polling locations in the U.S.

within large minority communities.

There is nothing trivial about the same 'heavy police presence' near or at polling precincts here on election days nor forcing minorities to use mailing ballots to ensure they are voting 'correctly'.

The media and many Americans seem to only be able to recognize 'a stain on democracy' when its somewhere else.

Do you see media attention, daily postings, or outrage about election fraud conducted on a grand scale in recent elections here in the U.S.?

Did you read about the DOJ interfering with election fraud investigations of recent elections?

There is nothing trivial about the level of duress communities here face at election time.

[PaulaFarrell]

7. People have actually been beaten and put in the hospital for opposing Mugabe.

Has that happened in Al or Mi? People are being frogmarched to the polls and told how to vote, knowing they will be beaten or even killed if they vote other than Mugabe. That is NOT happening in the US and for you to suggest that things are as bad in the US as in ZIm, is, to put it politely, lacking perspective. Not to say things are right in the US, but they are just not equivalent.

[superconnected]

4. At this point why does Mugabe even bother having an election.