Zimbabwe’s elections are coming up and President Robert Mugabe has said to avoid violence ahead of the elections. In a rally in the capital city, Harare, Mugabe said he will hold “harmonized elections” and is urging the nation to “uphold and promote peace.” Mugabe asked his party leaders to not attack opponents and that police should be tough on violent acts. Mugabe has also said “go and vote your own way. No one should force you to vote for me”, although his party was largely to blame for the violence in the 2008 election. Zimbabwe endorsed a new constitution in the March referendum, which is seen as credible by observers. Mugabe wants elections in June, but the Finance minister has said that the country cannot afford to fund the vote. The country has asked the United Nations to help fund the votes, but the assistance from the UN has been withdrawn because of the conditions that Zimbabwe has to follow in order to receive the funding. Sanctions that were put on Mugabe and senior ZANU-PF officials in 2002 because of human rights abuse and rigging the votes, has been eased last month by the EU.

I found it interesting to see whether Mugabe will hold peaceful elections or resort to violence and rigging the voting like he did in the 2008 elections. Powerful countries such as the UK or the United states has not stepped in to intervene or stop Mugabe over the years where he has tortured, terrorized and murdered many of his own people. If the elections are won by his opposing party MDC, I think it will take years for Zimbabwe to return to the country it used to be.