海角大神

鈥� A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Zimbabwe's election today has been referred to as the country's most important since independence in 1980. But it's being overshadowed by allegations of fraud and worries about violence.聽

President Robert Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe for decades with an iron fist, and faces off today for the third time against opposition leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. It is Mr. Mugabe鈥檚 fifth presidential election.

In the last vote in 2008, Mr. Tsvangirai narrowly won the first round and the election went to a runoff. After claims of violence against his supporters, Tsvangirai dropped out and Mugabe was declared the victor. An estimated 200 people died in election-related violence in the lead-up to the runoff that year, reports The Telegraph.

Mugabe, who is 89 years old and considered the oldest serving world leader, has limited election monitoring, barring Western observers. And allegations of padding the voter rolls are rife. The voter registration list was released on the eve of the election after weeks of delay and the BBC reports that their correspondent has seen the list: "It features the names of thousands of dead people. He says many names with the same address appear two or three times.鈥� 聽

According to a separate Telegraph report:

Security could be a concern in this decisive election. According to 海角大神, there is a sense of loyalty to the incumbent among Zimbabwean security forces.

A separate Monitor report notes that unlike the violence of 2008, there is 鈥渞elative peace" but also 鈥渢here are reported pockets of violence, and widespread reports indicate that in rural areas, Tsvangirai鈥檚 rallies have been blocked by Mugabe鈥檚 supporters and security agents.鈥� 聽

Mugabe has said he will cede power if he is voted out of office, but his comments in recent weeks have also been laced with intimidating language and contradictory statements.

The New York Times reports that despite uncertainty surrounding today鈥檚 vote, the opposition has come out confidently to challenge Mugabe鈥檚 rule.

鈥淚 want to see a new Zimbabwe,鈥� said Edison Masunda, a young unemployed mechanic, at an opposition rally on Monday. 鈥淲e have no fear. Mugabe must go. The people will speak.鈥�

Election results are expected in the next five days, and a runoff, if needed, would take place on Sept. 11.

An editorial in The Wall Street Journal notes that this election is in line with the 鈥淚ntimidation, violence and electorial theft鈥� that have kept Mugabe in power for so long. "What we have here is a peaceful but rigged election," Tsvangirai told the WSJ by telephone from Harare.

The WSJ argues that the international community shouldn鈥檛 鈥済o wobbly on Zimbabwe now,鈥� and must hold firm in its demand there be fair elections.