Capital Outlook Viewpoint

Mugabe bad news for Zimbabwe

It is unfortunate for the common Zimbabwe people that their country does not produce oil.

If it did, that would be all the moral authority President George W. Bush would need to concoct some reason to invade the soverign nation and depose dictator-tyrant President Robert Mugabe.

Of course, that would be in violation of at least the spirit of international law, but since when has George W. Bush let a minor thing like international law — or even the U.S. Constitution, for that matter — stop him from doing what he wants to do?

Let us be abundantly clear that we are not advocating invading Zimbabwe, but we do advocate some kind of immediate action by the international community on behalf of the oppressed and brutalized people of that African nation.

Mugabe was sworn in Sunday for another term as president following a sham run-off election from which the opposition had withdrawn out of fear for the safety of his supporters and himself, and where people were beaten and forced to vote in order for it to appear that Mugabe had won by a wide margin.

As Mugabe was being sworn in, human rights organizations and world leaders question the legitimacy of Friday's national vote.

Human Rights Watch on Sunday reported that Mugabe supporters beat people who could not prove they voted.

The international community, including the United States, is still debating how to deal with Mugabe and his thugs.

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980.

Zimbabwe held its presidential election in March, when opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai finished first in a field of four.

However, the run-off was made necessary when the ruling Mugabe government’s “official” tally said Tsvangirai did not win enough votes to avoid a runoff against Mugabe.

Tsvangirai had pulled out of the race over allegations and evidence of state-sponsored violence.

Over calls from the international community to redo the election, Mugabe refused to call off the runoff election, making himself the only active candidate -- although Tsvangirai's name did appear on the ballot.

Sanctions appears to be the topic of choice among leaders of the international community when it comes to dealing with Mugabe and Zimbabwe.

But a strong counterpoint is that because of the ruthlessness of Mugabe, his ruling party would make sure that the already oppressed would be the ones hurt most by any sanctions.

Despite finding no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush still tries to justify America’s invasion of that soverign nation by citing how cruel a dictator was Saddam Hussein.

If cruelty is the measure, Saddam was a minor leaguer if compared to Mugabe.

During the run-off campaign, U.N. Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe reported that ample evidence showed Mugabe's government was waging a "widespread campaign of retaliation and threat" and spreading "fear, hostility and attacks" against its opponents.

Mugabe's government is no longer capable of holding a legitimate election, Pascoe told the council, and Mugabe's plan to push ahead with a runoff Friday "would only increase divisions and produce discredited results."

According to a variety of news reports, tens of thousands of Zimbabweans were uprooted from their homes and 85 people died in election violence, human rights groups report.

Tsvangirai has repeatedly been detained by police and contended with warnings of a state-sponsored assassination plot. His top deputy was arrested on treason charges that carry the death penalty.

As Mugabe,84, enters his sixth term as president of Zimbabwe, the United States and the rest of the free world must not stand idley by as he makes a mockery of democracy.

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