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CNN Sunday Morning

Opposition to Mugabe Calls for Extra Day of Voting

Aired March 10, 2002 - 11:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Early results are expected tomorrow in the nationwide elections in Zimbabwe. For the first time in more than 20 years, the economically shattered country could see a change in leadership.

President Robert Mugabe has clung to power for 22 years, since independence from Britain. But now he's facing a serious challenge from opposition leader Morgan Shangiri (ph). The opposition is calling for an extra day of voting, saying so many people are lining up at the polls, that it's impossible for everyone to cast ballots by today's deadline.

With more on the Zimbabwe voting, we go now to CNN's Jeff Koinange in the capitol of Harare and he joins us live via videophone. What's happening there now, Jeff.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good evening from Harare, Fredricka. We're in a place called Glenora (ph), which is what they call a high density suburb of Harare.

People have been standing in a line behind me three deep and stretching for miles around. A lot of them have been here since yesterday. They waited all day yesterday. They were turned back, came in today, are still sitting, standing, or lying in line. We have about a half an hour to go before polls officially close. They're so determined they really want to vote today.

We're just heard over state radio, by the way, that the minister for legal affairs said until the last person in line votes, they are not going to close the polling stations until the last person in line votes.

So come seven o'clock local, there are going to be policemen standing at the end of the line. Nobody else can get in line. Everyone else in line will be able to vote. That's what they're saying right now over state radio.

Now the story of this election, Fredricka, has been the human interest element, people coming waiting in line for hours on end, and I have here with me Mary Ann Mashika (ph), a 29-year-old single lady. Now here's the story basically. Yesterday she went into line, waiting from 5:00 in the morning until 11:00 at night, got to the front of the line, was told she was at the wrong polling station. Mary Ann, tell us more about that. MARY ANN MASHIKA, LOCAL RESIDENT: I came to Glenora in the morning at around 5:00 in the morning. I went to (inaudible). I waited all day until 11:00 in the evening and only to find that my name was not in the (inaudible). So they sent me to (inaudible). I came here today. It's around 5:00 in the morning, but after 6:00 (inaudible).

KOINANGE: All day long you haven't eaten. You haven't moved from line?

MASHIKA: No. I haven't eaten anything. I'm still waiting to vote.

KOINANGE: Now, what happens if the government comes and says you can not vote today, polls are closed, go home. What are you going to do?

MASHIKA: That would be (inaudible) for us because we've waited for too long, and so they should extend the time so that we can be able to vote.

KOINANGE: Great. Thank you very much Mary Ann. Fredricka, Mary Ann basically said it's going to be very unfair if they are not allowed to vote today, because there are so many Mary Ann out there in the lines. They've waiting since yesterday morning, all day yesterday, all day today. All they want is to exercise their right to vote. We're going to see. We're going to be waiting here to see if they're allowed. Polls close officially in less than a half hour's time. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And, Jeff, is there any way to kind of paint a picture of what the political geography might be there? Will the folks in the urban areas and the capitol of Harare vote a little differently than in the outer lying remote areas in terms of, you know, whether the urban areas might be more for change or for much more of the same?

KOINANGE: Good. Here's the basic breakdown, Fredricka. Urban areas, there's about 3.4 million voters. In rural areas there's about 2.4 million. Urban areas generally traditionally vote for the opposition. In the rural areas, they vote for the ruling party. A lot of people here in this urban area, it's basically in opposition territory, a lot of people feel that this is a tactic by the government to prevent them from voting.

But a lot of these people are opposition, and they're mounting a lot of agitation now, but there is a lot of police presence in riot gear with teargas canisters, with batons, with helmets. If any trouble breaks out, we'll be here to report it. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, very interesting. Thanks very much, Jeff Koinange, reporting from Harare, Zimbabwe this evening, this evening there, this afternoon here.

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