Electoral fraud
Entries looking at practices and actions with consequences for free and fair elections; including vote rigging, gerrymandering, human rights abuses, political violence, etc.
A closer look at by-elections in Zimbabwe
Sokwanele Article: July 25th, 2009
Map showing looming by-elections, and potential by-elections - click to enlarge
The map above illustrates constituencies where seats are exposed to by-elections as a result of MP deaths and MP convictions. One seat has fallen vacant due to Lovemore Moyo becoming Speaker.
In addition to this, there are nine other seats which are currently under threat because of MPs awaiting trail. Two of these nine seats are held by Zanu PF, and three of the deaths were also Zanu PF seats. This means the MDC potentially faces 16 by-elections (assuming those awaiting trial are convicted and lose their appeals and imprisoned for more than six months) and ZanuPF potentially faces five by-elections, under the same terms. This means the overwhelming majority of seats which are exposed to by-elections are held by MDC, seriously threatening their parliamentary majority.
As we note at the end of this blog, Robert Mugabe is charged with calling the by-elections, and the longer he delays calling the elections, the closer we come to the end of the one year agreement where the three main parties agreed to not field candidates against each other.
Interim statements by the SADC and PAP Election Observer Missions
Sokwanele Article: June 29th, 2008Find, at the end of this post, links to the preliminary statements by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Election Observer Missions (EOM) to Zimbabwe. We've provided a snapshot of some of what they said below, but you must download and read the statements for the full details.
SADC EOM:
"There was a low turnout during the runoff compared to the 29 March 2008 harmonised elections"
"The pre-election phase was characterised by politically motivated violence, intimidation, and displacements.
"The process leading up to the presidential run-off elections did not conform to SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections".
"[...] the Mission is of the view that the prevailing environment impinged on the credibility of the electoral process. The elections did not represent the will of the people of Zimbabwe"
PAP EOM:
Sham election results from the Presidential run-off poll
Sokwanele Article: June 29th, 2008On March 29th 2008, Robert Mugabe polled total votes of 1,079,730. Somehow, despite mass intimidation, gross violence, increasing poverty, murders, and hyper-inflation, Robert Mugabe's popularity accelerated faster than our inflation figures (which is quite something) and he managed to secure himself an extra 1,070,539 votes on 27 June 2008. He has effectively doubled his vote.
Do not forget that Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from this poll and a call to boycott the elections was circulated and supported in many areas (see Sokwanele round-ups on the day of the polls here and here). The Pan African Parliamentary observers have independently also confirmed an extremely low turnout, but this is not reflected in the turnout figures below.
