Zimbabwe (MNN) ― Zimbabwe's Opposition Party appears to have been terrorized into silence, but the election is going ahead Friday. A defiant President Robert Mugabe made it clear that he would not recognize the earlier outcome and called for a runoff.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai officially pulled out of the race and took refuge in the Dutch embassy. He cited political violence as the reason behind his concerns. In the run up to the election, pro-Robert Mugabe militias have been cruelly surpressing Tsvangirai's supporters. Under the current conditions, he believes it to be too dangerous for his supporters to go to the polls.
According to the United Nations, is there is no way that Friday's elections can be fair. There are several countries threatening not to recognize Mugabe should he declare himself the winner.
The risk of violence erupting and the tenuousness of post-election peace forced Global Aid Network (GAiN USA) to postpone a ministry trip. It has been rescheduled for May 2009.
The original plan was to have two teams serve alongside a local partner ministry who planted 300 new churches in 2004 through an effort known as Project Jericho.
GaiN USA's Charles Debter says, "Our partner ministry there has humanitarian aid to distribute, but the government has asked them not to distribute it at this time."
That order has frustrated their ability to reach out with the Gospel. "As a result, there are many people that they could reach, who have great physical needs as well as spiritual needs that are not being helped." Debter says their partner asked for "prayer for stability, for peace, and for help for people who are suffering because of the poverty and the strained and difficult economic situation there."
