Tsvangirai: ‘Junta Now Runs Zimbabwe’

Soon enough or it may already have, Zimbabwe’s political fate has paralleled that of Burma. Both countries have their fair share of a massive humanitarian crisis. The people of both Zimbabwe and Burma are having problems getting the much needed necessary aid.

However, Zimbabwe has been plagued by post-election chaos and Burma has been ravaged by Cyclone Nargis. Still, the leaders have done little to nothing to help the people of their respective countries. Perhaps Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party could be Zimbabwe’s version of Nobel Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Perhaps Tsvangirai and Suu Kyi might have some interesting stories to exchange in the future.

Western diplomats have said that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has ceded power to the military. Tsvangirai has argued that the country has been taken over by a junta.

A Western diplomat had told journalists that Mugabe remained in power because of the shadowy military organization known as Joint Operations Command (JOC). The group is run by General Constantine Chiwenga, the head of the military forces. Chiwenga and his wife are also subject to travel sanctions.

Human Rights Watch says that JOC is secretly staging a coup to keep Tsvangirai from getting power. Tsvangirai has won the elections; but, he did not win enough to avoid the runoff election. The runoff election is scheduled for June 27.

“This country is effectively now run by a military junta,” Tsvangirai said. He added: “As a people we have been exposed to state-sponsored brutality.” The UN and many human rights groups blame Mugabe’s administration and his Zanu-PF party for most of the violence.

Some have brought up the idea of a power-sharing agreement like the one with Kenya. A power-sharing agreement was reached after the post-election violence in Kenya. Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) became Kenya’s first Prime Minister.

Tsvangirai has implied that it would not happen.

But it is clear that Zimbabwe’s government looks to be ruled by a junta soon. Tsvangirai could find himself in the same boat as Suu Kyi.