SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 06 Russians go to polls after summer of protests Zimbabweans divided in Moscow ussians are set to vote in local elections to - day following a huge- mourning for Mugabe Rly controversial campaign in Moscow that degenerated into the biggest police crack- down on protesters in nearly a decade. Municipal and regional polls will be held across the vast country, but most attention will be focused on the Moscow Alexei Navalny served 30 days in parliament vote following the jail for urging protests over the arrests and jailings of inde - exclusion of opposition allies pendent would-be candidates and their supporters. Russians will Over the past weeks tens of • thousands have taken part in elect governors Moscow protests demanding in 16 regions and a fair vote after allies of oppo- elections to legislative sition leader Alexei Navalny assemblies will take were barred from the election. Rap stars and prominent blog- place in 13 regions, gers backed the demonstra- including Crimea tions. Authorities responded with Some 7.2 million a police crackdown -- the big- people• are eligible to gest since a wave of protests in 2011-12 against Putin’s return elect 45 lawmakers to the Kremlin after a stint as prime minister. Some 7.2 million people are Russian election eligible to elect 45 lawmakers chief attacked in the Moscow parliament, Mugabe, President Emmerson he did great.” role”. which is dominated by the rul- Mugabe will be Mnangagwa said Friday that his “We will never get any other And the United States blamed ing United Russia party and • predecessor had been declared president like president Mugabe him for impoverishing Zimba- never opposes the policies of buried at a hilltop shrine a “national hero” and that Zim- who during his time had the bwe, saying he “betrayed his staunchly pro-Kremlin Mayor reserved exclusively babwe would mourn him until guts to call the British ‘these people’s hopes”. Sergei Sobyanin. the burial. stupid British’ right in their The former political prison- for Zimbabwe’s ruling ‘Smart voting’ elite, an official said The news of Mugabe’s death face,” said Vivian Jena, anoth- er and guerrilla leader swept was plastered across the front er supporter. But while some to power in 1980 elections af- Navalny has put forward a page of local papers. Zimbabweans hailed Mugabe ter a growing insurgency and “Smart Voting” plan urging Harare “End of an era” said Daily- as a “revolutionary icon”, for economic sanctions forced the Pamfilova has backed a decision Muscovites to support those News. “95 and out”, echoed others his named evoked only Rhodesian government to the barring Moscow opposition who have the highest chances imbabweans entered a NewsDay, while state-owned “destruction” and “suffering”. negotiating table. candidates of beating pro-Kremlin candi- The Herald published a special “He destroyed this country. In office, he initially won first full day of national Moscow dates. Most of them are Com- Zmourning yesterday, di- edition entirely dedicated to the Now he’s gone and we have international plaudits for his munists. vided over the legacy of Rob- former president. nothing left in the country be- declared policy of racial rec- The chief of the central ert Mugabe, the guerrilla hero First heralded as a liberator cause of him,” said Mupeti, puff- onciliation and for extending he head of Russia’s cen- election commission, Ella turned despot who ruled the who rid the former British col- ing at a cigarette. improved education and health Ttral election commit- Pamfilova, said that a dozen country for 37 years. ony Rhodesia of white minority “Why should I shed any tear services to the black majority. tee was attacked at night opposition candidates were Flags flew half mast in the rule, Mugabe used repression for him when I’m suffering like But that faded rapidly as Mug- by a masked assailant who disqualified because they did capital Harare as shops re - and fear to govern until he was this. I can’t even pay fees for my abe cracked down on his oppo- climbed into her house and not provide the right papers or mained open and people bustled finally ousted by his previous- daughter who is doing Form 4.” nents. During the 1980s, he led hit her with a taser, Russian faked some of their supporters’ about their daily errands. ly loyal generals in November an infamous campaign known police said Friday. signatures. “We are not mourning, why 2017. His increasingly tyrannical ‘Betrayed his people’ as Gukurahundi during which The attack on 65-year-old Elections will take place in should we mourn when we are leadership and economic mis- South African President Cyril an estimated 20,000 dissidents Ella Pamfilova, at around 1:30 each of the country’s 85 re - suffering like this,” said Ozias management prompted millions Ramaphosa remembered Mug- were killed. am (Thursday 2330 GMT). gions. Russians will elect gov- Mupeti, 55, standing on a dusty to leave the country. abe as a “liberation fighter” and The violent seizure of white- Police described the attack ernors in 16 regions and elec- curb in downtown Harare on a Only a handful of Mugabe a “champion of Africa’s cause owned farms turned him into an in a village outside Moscow tions to legislative assemblies cold and cloudy morning. supporters came out the streets, against colonialism”. international pariah -- although as “armed assault,” saying the will take place in 13 regions, “Look at me selling pieces of sporting Mugabe-emblazoned China lauded him as an “out- his status as a liberation hero offender “entered the house’s including Crimea which was ginger on the streets, at my age. T-shirts in honour of his pass- standing national liberation still resonates strongly across conservatory via a window annexed by Moscow from I should have been an employer ing. One small group chanted movement leader” while Rus- Africa. and hit the owner with an Ukraine in 2014. by now.” and danced, another blasted sian President Vladimir Putin As his health weakened, the electric shocker several The race for the governor’s Mugabe, 95, passed away at music from a car. noted Mugabe’s “great personal military finally intervened to times, after which he fled”. seat in Saint Petersburg has 0240 GMT on Friday in Singa- “Mugabe provided education contribution” to Zimbabwe’s quash his second wife Grace’s Pamfilova on Friday took become the most controver- pore, where he had been for and scholarships to most Zim- independence. presidential ambitions in favour part in a conference in Mos- sial campaign outside Mos- medical treatment since April. babweans,” Comrade Bhobhi But Britain said “Zimbabwe- of their preferred candidate, cow and television footage cow, with the Kremlin backing As Zimbabweans expressed said. “Of course he failed some- ans suffered for too long as a Mnangagwa, Mugabe’s vice did not show any visible in- deeply unpopular acting city sharply divided opinions about where but on the education side result of Mugabe’s autocratic president at the time. juries. chief Alexander Beglov. French first lady is ‘truly ugly,’ says Brazilian minister AFP | Rio de Janeiro last week when he appeared Brazilian government min- to agree with a Facebook post A ister said French first lady that implied French President Brigitte Macron was “truly ugly” Emmanuel Macron’s wife was Thursday, only days after the not as attractive as his own wife country’s president appeared Michele Bolsonaro. to endorse an attack on her ap- He wrote “Do not humiliate pearance. the guy, ha ha” on a post that Brazil’s economy minister read “Now you understand why Paulo Guedes said he agreed Macron is persecuting Bolson- with President Jair Bolsonaro’s aro” next to pictures of the two comments about Macron’s looks. first ladies. “The president said it -- it’s The French president called true,” he said to applause during Bolsonaro’s behavior “extraor- an economic forum. “The wom- dinarily rude” and the Brazil- an is truly ugly.” ian president later deleted his Later, an aide said in a state- comment. ment that Guedes “asks for for- Brazil and France have giveness for the joke he made clashed in recent weeks over the today during a public event... handling of fires in the Amazon, when he mentioned the French the world’s largest rainforest, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (L) is seen with his economy minister Paulo first lady.” which is crucial for a stable glob- Guedes Bolsonaro garnered criticism al climate. French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte Macron.