Morgan Tsvangirai

Morgan Tsvangirai

Morgan Tsvangirai explains why he is optimistic of success in Zimbabwe’s elections

This week Zimbabwe goes to the polls to elect its next president. 

 

Morgan Tsvangirai, Simba Makoni and Robert Mugabe, the incumbent president, will contest the vote. However, there are serious concerns that the election will be rigged in favour of Mugabe.

Many foreign journalists and election observers have been banned from entering Zimbabwe and previous polls have been marred by allegations of electoral fraud. 

 

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 but the country’s economy lies in ruins. Inflation is currently running at over 100,000 per cent a year.

Sir David is joined by Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, to discuss the forthcoming election. 

Tsvangirai says that while the elections may not be free and fair, he is optimistic of success.

 

Ian Paisley

Ian Paisley says Northern Ireland’s troubles are over

Ian Paisley, the leader and founder of the Democratic Unionists, has been an unmistakable and controversial figure in Northern Irish politics. 

 

For years he obstructed efforts to reconcile the territory’s warring Catholic nationalists and Protestant unionists.

Then last spring Paisley agreed to a power-sharing agreement. For the past year he has led the devolved administration with Martin McGuinness, a former IRA leader. 

Such a compromise would have been inconceivable at the height of the troubles. 

However, this month Paisley announced he would stand down as Northern Ireland’s first minister and leader of the Democratic Unionists.   

Ian Paisley joins the show to discuss the power-sharing agreement and tells Sir David that the territory’s troubles are over and expresses his optimism for the future.

 

Saffron Burrows

Actress Saffron Burrows talks about her latest film and her political activism

Saffron Burrows is an English actress and former model. Burrows has starred in a range of films, from Hollywood blockbusters to small, independent productions. She is also a long-time socialist and political activist.

Burrows’ latest film, The Bank Job, is based on a real-life bank robbery that took place in London in 1971.

Burrows talks to Sir David about politics, acting and her new film. 

 

She says her latest film has stuck closely to the original set of events. She also talks about the importance of the welfare state and expresses her admiration for the French politician Ségolène Royal.

 

Jihad Makdissi

Jihad Makdissi says the Arab summit is about all Arab people and not just Syria

On Saturday, the Arab League will hold their annual summit and for the first time it will be held in the Syrian capital Damascus. 

However, a number of countries are boycotting the event including Egypt and Saudi Arabia who will only be sending low-level delegations. They accuse Syria of meddling in Lebanese politics.

Lebanon, which has been besieged by political turmoil since the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri is boycotting the summit altogether.

Sir David is joined by Jihad Makdissi, a spokesman for the Syrian Embassy in London. 

Makdissi says that he regrets the partial boycott as the summit is about the Arab people and not Syria. He also says that Syria does not intervene in Lebanon’s internal politics.

David Frum

David Frum tells Sir David about the challenges facing the Republican party

John McCain has all but guaranteed his nomination as the Republican candidate for this year’s US presidential election. But the maverick views of Senator McCain on some major issues, including abortion and immigration, have divided America’s conservatives. Some have even threatened to vote for the Democrats.

David Frum, an author and political analyst, joins Sir David to discuss John McCain and the presidential race. 

Frum says that the Republicans have a very difficult year ahead of them with the American economy on a downward slide. But he says the Republican party will benefit from a protracted Democratic presidential contest.