By Marius Bosch
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -
Bloggers mixed wild rumors with
gallows humor on Monday as Zimbabweans waited on tenterhooks
for the result of the most crucial election since independence.
The opposition MDC and ruling ZANU-PF were running
neck-and-neck in first parliamentary results issued by the
electoral commission, 36 hours after polls closed.
Many bloggers shared opposition suspicions that the delay
meant President Robert Mugabe was trying to rig the result to
extend his 28 years in power.
Even in cyberspace the tension of waiting for the results
began to tell.
"It's late and if I watch (MDC secretary general) Tendai
Biti making the same comments on the same report they have been
running since this morning I am going to do grievous bodily
harm to the next person who walks through the door," one
blogger wrote on thisiszimbabwe
http://www.sokwanele/thisiszimbabwe/
Writing on Sunday, poet Samm Farai Monro, better known as
Comrade Fatso, told on his blog http://comradefatso.vox/ of
wild rumors flying around the capital Harare.
"The streets are waiting. We woke today to rumors of Mugabe
fleeing to Malaysia and news of the MDC press conference. We
carried our bababarazi'd (hungover) selves to the conference
after a night of ragga at downtown Harare's Tube Nightclub.
According to the MDC's counting process they are way ahead in
the polls. Victory is on people's lips. But so is rigging."
CRUMBLING ECONOMY
Zimbabwe's crumbling economy was also widely discussed.
Clark described searching for an Easter egg in Harare, where
most shop shelves are bare. Official inflation is more than
100,000 percent and the currency is virtually worthless.
Many blogger comments on the Botswana-based news website
http://zimbabwemetro related to fears that the elections
may be rigged.
"I want to say to Mr Mugabe, this is your perfect time to
say goodbye," said comments by "Snoopy," a Zimbabwean living in
Australia.
"You can leave with a small amount of dignity if you leave
now rather than no dignity at all in the next few weeks when
there will be blood on the streets if you steal this election
and again tell the people you do not care ... Go now Bob."
(Editing by Barry Moody)
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