Morgan Tsvangirai has taken office in Zimbabwe. (You can read his inauguration address here.) His calls to restore the rule of law and to revive the country’s devastated economy coupled with the belief among masses in Zimbabwe that he is the country’s rightful leader have resulted in Tsvangirai’s receiving a hero’s welcome.
Naturally optimists want to look forward to the future and even pessimists hope that the country is on the road to recovery. But for now world leaders, including the Americans, are going to withhold judgment and keep a wary eye on Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s plight is nearly impossible to overstate, and whatever optimism Tsvangirai inspires, the reality is that Robert Mugabe still holds a great deal of power and he will almost certainly be willing to utilize it.