Zimbabweans are voting in what could be President Robert Mugabe‘s last ever election. Lines are getting longer every hour as are authorities considering extending the voting time. For his part, President Mugabe has said he will step down from the helm if he loses Wednesday’s general election.
According to the BBC:
“Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has said he will quit after 33 years in power if he loses Wednesday’s election.
“His remarks came as Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party accused Zanu-PF of doctoring the voters’ roll.
“The BBC’s Nomsa Maseko was the journalist who asked Mr. Mugabe if he would step down if he lost.”
CBSnews.com reports:
“Mugabe, who has denied allegations of vote-rigging and dismissed concerns about the credibility of the polls.
“Lines of voters snaked around a school in Harare, where polling booths opened just after the scheduled time of 7 a.m. (1 a.m. EST) Wednesday. Many were dressed in heavy coats, scarves and woolen headgear to ward off the winter chill. Some had flasks of hot drinks.
“‘It is moving slowly, but I am here for as long as it takes. We have got to get this done,’ said voter Isaac Rufaro, who joined the line before dawn.
“The contest pits Mugabe against … Tsvangirai, the former opposition leader who teamed up with the president’s party in an uneasy coalition. The power-sharing deal was forged by regional leaders after Zimbabwe’s last disputed and violent election in 2008.”
