Zimbabwe is in the middle of early voting right now and, so far, the presidential election is not going too well. The above video, by Nigerian-British viral video-maker Ikenna Azuike, runs through it in two quick, funny, easy-to-understand minutes. (Two glossary entries: Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980; ZANU-PF is his political party, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front.)
Here’s a bit more info on what’s happening in Zimbabwe. The election will officially be held July 31, though early voting began Monday for police and other officials. But polling places have lacked ballots and other essential equipment, forcing many of them to turn people away; only about 10 percent of eligible voters have been able to cast ballots in what the Associated Press calls “poll chaos.” Many within and without Zimbabwe are calling on the country to delay voting so it can better prepare, but the government is pushing ahead, a plan that opponents say is a deliberate effort by Mugabe to derail the vote and sow confusion.
Nobody is very optimistic about the election. Soldiers and police across the country are clamping down on the political opposition and arresting activists; independent media is under pressure; Human Rights Watch warned, “The chances of having free, fair and credible elections are slim.” This is the first presidential election in Zimbabwe since 2008, when widespread violence by pro-Mugabe police and soldiers caused an international outcry that ultimately forced Mugabe to accept a power-sharing deal with an opposition figure, Morgan Tsvangirai. Though few expect Mugabe to give up power willingly, he is 88 years old and travels frequently to Asia for health treatments; the question Azuike addresses at the end of his video is, who will succeed him?
Azuike’s YouTube series, “What’s Up Africa,” is well worth subscribing to.
Article source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/07/23/a-very-funny-video-explains-zimbabwes-election-chaos-in-under-two-minutes/