The Campaign Posters of Dictators

Even dictators appreciate the shiny veneer of perceived electoral legitimacy, though their rigged polls and repressive policies leave the rest of us wondering just who they think they're fooling.

And every dictator has his own campaigning style. For all that Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe have in common -- torture-happy security forces, severely restrictive freedom of speech and association policies, a general penchant for "rule by the gun" -- their campaign messages couldn't be more different. Bashir paints himself as the harbinger of peace and prosperity for all of Sudan, Mugabe threatens to usher in the apocalypse if he's asked to relinquish power.

According to Save Darfur's Sean Brooks, who recently returned from Sudan, Bashir's campaign billboards show his smiling face alongside doves and images of large-scale development projects. His campaign events throughout the country have delivered similar messages, seeking to sell himself as the "Symbol of Unity and Peace" -- ironic, given that his track record over the past 20 years has been anything but peaceful. And this show isn't for the Sudanese alone. That Bashir's dove-topped campaign website is in multiple languages, including French and English, is a clear sign, as pointed out by Bec Hamilton, that Bashir is peddling his new-found love for peace to an international audience.

(Be sure to have the volume up on your computer when you visit the site -- you don't want to miss the sound effects.)

Bobby Mugabe, on the other hand, lays it all out on the table. When I was in Harare in 2008, the city was plastered with campaign posters reading, "This is the Final Battle of Total Control" and "100% Total Control." His speeches are peppered with such unequivocally power-hungry statements as, "I will never, never, never, never surrender. Zimbabwe is mine."

The difference between the two dictators may speak to more than just personal flair. With intense international attention on Sudan, from the ongoing conflict in Darfur to the flouting of democratic reforms mandated by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement to the International Criminal Court indictments, Bashir is hardly in a position to let his war-mongering side show. Rather, by playing to both a domestic constituency desperate for peace and stability as well as an international community eager for the same, Bashir creates a distraction while he and his party continue with their less-than-peaceful agenda. Furthermore, despite the many barricades to free and fair elections put in place to favor Bashir, many observers still believe that the opposition poses a credible threat -- appealing to the desire for peace and stability held by many Sudanese is thus a political imperative, even though he seems the least likely to deliver on that promise.

Mugabe, on the other hand, has faced formidable and resilient domestic opposition, but has successfully strong-armed regional involvement in brokering peace and a transition to democracy in Zimbabwe. His public image is one educated by the absolute impunity he enjoys, and the absolute confidence he has in his firm grip on power. The cranky old curmudgeon knows he's going nowhere, fast.

Photo credit: Mangwanani