Zimbabwe: It's Official

When you deploy the police and military to ensure that you win an election, any pretense of democracy is gone. The international community should be embarassed if it pretends that Zimbabwe is in any way a democratic state, starting with Mugabe's ally President Mbeki of South Africa. The emphasis below is mine:

"April 18 (Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe deployed the army, police and intelligence officers to intimidate voters in rural areas to ensure he wins a presidential run-off vote, two top members of his party said.

The officials, who belong to the ruling Zanu-PF party's politburo, said the security forces are working with youth militia loyal to the party and groups who describe themselves as veterans of Zimbabwe's 1966-1979 liberation war against a minority white-led government..."