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Hate speech mounts as countdown to election start
MISA-Zimbabwe
March 30, 2005

Campaigning in Zimbabwe's parliamentary election, which had gone relatively peaceful in the past three weeks, have taken a turn for the worst with President Mugabe giving hate lauded speeches attacking the opposition and declaring that he will never allow the opposition MDC to govern the country.

President Robert Mugabe lashed at opposition, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai a day before, Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections, describing him as a "nutty head". Addressing ruling Zanu PF supporters in the small mining town of Bindura in Mashonaland Central province on 29 March 2005, Mugabe accused Britain and its European allies of peddling lies that Zimbabwe was a dictatorship and people were starving.

"Lies, lies and more lies. The Europeans think lies are part of the politics. Lies play a great part in their politics. We do not pursue that kind of a strategy in our politics.

"We must know our enemy. But amongst us you get the nutty head (Tsvangirai). Tsvangirai, big headed, you would think that big head carries some sanity with it, none." Mugabe is quoted by the government-controlled media as having said at the rally in Bindura. Despite calls for peaceful election, the hate speech directed at the opposition, calls to question attempts to present the 31st March election as a free and fair when the incumbent openly says results which are not in favor of the ruling party will not be accepted.

Tsvangirai has in the past been vilified by Mugabe as a stooge of the British government working to effect "regime change" in Zimbabwe and reverse the country's controversial land reform measures.

Zimbabweans go to the polls tomorrow in an election in which the main parties, Zanu PF and the MDC are predicting victory.

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