Mugabe vote: Head-to-head

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/talking_point/7477143.stm

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Zimbabweans are voting in the second round of the controversial presidential election.

However, President Robert Mugabe is the only real candidate, after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew, citing election violence.

The BBC News website revisits two Zimbabweans - one Zanu-PF and one MDC supporter - who voted in the first ballot.

RICHARD, HWANGE

Richard, 53, from Hwange in north-western Zimbabwe, works at Zimbabwe's electricity company.

I voted for Robert Mugabe. The atmosphere - where I was at a polling station in a suburb of Hwange - was the same as when I voted on 29 March; it was very quiet and peaceful.

There were no people bussed in to vote, a few of my white friends even came to vote and there was no pressure at all.

This election is definitely free and fair

I recognised the polling agents from the first round as well and the MDC polling agent was there too.

There were no soldiers at the polling station - just one policeman sitting outside but there was no one leaning on you inside.

I cast my ballot in private, folded it and then dropped it into the translucent ballot box.

There was no fairer playing field than this.

It is a lie that the authorities know who people voted for. Other people will never know who you voted for.

I have voted in every election here since 1980 and they have always been free and fair.

There was no intimidation. We are educated here in Zimbabwe and no one can tell us who to vote for.

Robert Mugabe casting his voteI am sure thousands have freely voted for Morgan Tsvangirai.

The international community says it does not recognise the election but I am sure they will be interested to know how many votes Morgan Tsvangirai got, even if they say they are not.

Of course there has been some violence but it has been on both sides - it takes two to tango.

MDC supporters are beating up Zanu-PF supporters and vice versa.

When you ask me if this election is free and fair, why don't you look at the elections in Iraq and Afghanistan?

The USA declared those elections free and fair - when thousands died and there were soldiers and journalists in bullet proof vests everywhere.

So how can those have been fair?

In Zimbabwe only about 70 people have died so it is nothing like the thousands who died in those countries.

Zimbabweans are keen to exercise their right to vote and this election is definitely free and fair.

I want Mugabe to win but I think that perhaps after 18 months or so he should consider retiring.

After all he is 84 and not getting any younger. He is an obstacle to our relationship with the British.

I think maybe a unity government would work. The parliament is split almost equally between MDC and Zanu-PF politicians.

The UK should not take sides but should come here and get the two parties to sit together and negotiate - that way all Zimbabweans would win.

SANDRA, BULAWAYO

Sandra (not her real name), 23, is an accountant in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo.

Basically, the election is on as Mugabe had said and his people are voting.

What is happening does not count as an election whatsoever

Here in town it is quiet and only a few people have turned up at the polling stations - I assume they are the Zanu-PF faithful.

It is probably calm because it is an urban area where there are a few cases of violence and intimidatiion.

I am not really sure about the rural areas but I guess there has been a lot of intimidation considering the pre-election violence that was very prevalent.

There are some police in the polling stations here.

I also went to vote for a member of parliament in my constituency where there is a by-election.

There is a very low turnout though.

Morgan Tsvangirai has also urged his rural supporters to go and vote and avoid victimisation from the militia for not voting.

I guess Mugabe is going to declare himself the winner and will announce the results sooner than in the more harmonious election that we had on 29 March.

Obviously Mugabe will win, but what is happening does not count as an election whatsoever.

As regards Morgan Tsvangirai pulling out - I think he did the best possible thing in the circumstances and is justified in putting people's lives first.

He had no chance of winning the election if he remained in the race.

He would have found it very difficult to win with such terrible intimidation and brutal torture of his supporters.

If Tsvangirai had taken part in the poll, he would only have legitimised an illegitimate election.

I think the possible best way forward would have been to postpone the election until the UN was satisfied that a free and fair environment existed.

The international community should send a peacekeeping force to necessitate such an environment.

A government of national unity which consists of Mugabe is a vague idea because it still does not eliminate the existing problem.

One way or other Mugabe would only manipulate the system to his favour and so continue with his dictatorship.

Violence has flared increasingly day by day.

<a class="bodl" href="/1/hi/talking_point/7382162.stm"> Read voters' earlier comments</a>

The views of these voters may not be representative of wider public opinion.