Mugabe on Tsvangirai, election run-off

(24 Jun 2008) SHOTLIST
1. Helicopter carrying President Robert Mugabe arriving at rally, tilts down to cheering crowd
2. Various of Mugabe walking up to stage, waving to crowd
3. Close of Mugabe's hands as he sits on stage
4. Mugabe sitting on stage
5. SOUNDBITE (English/Shona) Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean President:
"(English) the MDC leader saw this wave, great wave, a political hurricane coming his way. He's frightened, frightened of the people. (Shona) He ran and sought refuge in the Dutch embassy yesterday. (English) Seeking refuge? What for?"
6. Cutaway of female supporter sitting in crowd
7. Cutaway of male supporter sitting in crowd
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean President:
"We will proceed with our election, the verdict is our verdict. Other people can say what they want, but the elections are ours. We are a sovereign state, and that is it. Those who will want to recognise us on the basis of objectivity will do so. Those who don't want, keep your judgement to yourselves. But our people are going to vote, and that vote will decide whether we have won or lost. And that is what we go by, nothing else. They can shout as loud as they like from Washington or from London, or from any other quarter. Our people, only our people, will decide, and no one else."
9. Cutaway of supporters in crowd
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean President:
"Surprising, that some of our friends, even in Africa, have not been able to appreciate the pressures there have been from Britain and Washington. All along we have been working in an environment of sanctions, in an environment of hardships imposed by sanctions. Not a single country, an African country, has been bold enough to say 'These sanctions are wrong'. Not a single African country has been bold enough to say 'Don't interfere in the affairs of Zimbabwe'. And that is telling of our future in Africa. If we are going to subject ourselves sheepishly to domination by imperialism then Africa is not yet truly liberated."
11. Crowd of supporters chanting
12. Mugabe walking with football, kicks it
STORYLINE
As leading members of Zimbabwe's opposition were on the run or under attack on Tuesday, President Robert Mugabe spent the day campaigning,
determined to hold a presidential runoff in which he will be the only candidate.
Mugabe kept up his defiance in the face of international condemnation.
"We will proceed with our election, the verdict is our verdict. Other people can say what they want, but the elections are ours. We are a sovereign state, and that is it," he told thousands of cheering supporters at a rally in Bankent.
"They can shout as loud as they like from Washington or from London, or from any other quarter. Our people, only our people, will decide, and no one else," he said.
Mugabe also told his supporters that his government had "been working in an environment of sanctions, in an environment of hardships imposed by sanctions."
"Not a single country, an African country, has been bold enough to say 'These sanctions are wrong'. Not a single African country has been bold enough to say 'Don't interfere in the affairs of Zimbabwe'. And that is telling of our future in Africa," he continued.
Mugabe's plan to go ahead with Friday's vote appeared to stem less from a desire to validate his rule than to humiliate opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been holed up in the Dutch embassy in Harare since announcing on Sunday that he would not compete in the election.
"He ran and sought refuge in the Dutch embassy yesterday. Seeking refuge? What for?" Mugabe asked.

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