Mont Fleuri versus Zimbabwe

The comical irony between a bye-election and the sham presidential election

Isn’t it timely to follow the run-up and outcome of two elections in two fairly similar circumstances? The election in Zimbabwe is one which has been forced upon its people by a dictator who has invoked the power of divinity. He has set the fait-accompli that he is solid as a rock. The ‘Mon Fleri’ bye-election has been forced upon the constituency by the elected member who is crying foul for not being allowed to advance the views of his electorate through democratic debate. In the Zim case, it is a case in burying democracy with a bungee jump over the Vic Falls whereas in Seychelles, it is the case of not allowing the big stick headmaster to impose his detention laws… In one word no more dictatorship!

It is funny to see that the endangered bird species of Mugabe and Rene seem to enjoy invoking the memories of their struggle. While Mugabe fights the windmills of his colonial masters with a land redistribution from the whites to the blacks, Rene does an about turn on his mature and sophisticated people of the revolution and invokes the ‘Gran Blan’ of his SPUP days. Rene calling Ferrari names… how funnily embarrassing! We now move from a ‘lager saler’ to a ‘lager gran blan’!

There is no doubt that this election comes at a painful time for the SPPF. It was totally unexpected as was witnessed by their withdrawal from the race. On the other hand, the opposition party in Zimbabwe has thrown in the towel as the bulldozer Mugabe is on a roll…limbs will be smashed, heads will be butted and wills will be broken into submission.

Back home a steam roller in the house of the people has decided to act ‘tuff’ and shut the ‘loudmouths’ and let the ‘sweet talker’ flower pots ‘pet an fler’!!

How comical?!! The irony of it all is that the SPPF takes a page from Mugabe and tells its supporters that they should not show up and big brother will be monitoring as they go around in their big gas guzzling jeeps to ‘check’ on the event. They reserve the victimization for those who turn their backs on the failed system. Everyone will go down together they reckon! Over in Zimbabwe, they are chasing those with an inkless finger with machetes and boiling water… they have gotten desperate!

Is it ironic? Is this an omen for things to come? Don’t forget the parallel between the struggles for liberation which mutated into absolute dictatorship, onward to socialism, welcome multi-partyism, hello nepotism, a little terrorism, absolute capitalism. We have now arrived, so much so that we think our journey through life has been sent from the heavens!

July 11, 2008
Copyright 2007: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles