Zimbabwe Election Watch : Issue 18
March 2008 Elections - A climate of confusion and fear
News24 (SA) sums up Zimbabwe’s electoral landscape with the following comments: “Voters in Zimbabwe’s (forthcoming) elections …will have to puzzle through a blur of alliances, divisions and sub-divisions among the political parties…
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the official election administrator, has now published a list of 779 candidates for the 210 seats in the lower house of assembly, and 197 aspirants for the 60 elected seats in the upper house, the senate, from 12 political parties and 116 independents…
The muddle of candidates adds to the widespread concern about the elections when, for the first time, the electorate of 5.5 million people will have to mark their Xs on four different ballot papers for presidential, house of assembly, senate and local government wards.
Church and civic groups point out that the head of ZEC, Judge George Chiweshe, has been illegally appointed by Mugabe; that he ignored legal procedures for the setting of the election date; that the boundaries of the constituencies in the elections were illegally promulgated; and that there is evidence of comprehensive manipulation of the voters’ roll.
They say ZEC has carried out almost no voter education on the complicated system, the campaign period is far too short and there is scant hope of all would-be voters being able to cast their vote in a single day…”
IRIN (UN) reports there is little evidence on the ground that the country is about to hold one of its most crucial elections; many rural people and others have not received any voter education.
Dr Simba Makoni, who was ejected from the ruling Zanu PF earlier this month for announcing he would stand against Mugabe, told the BBC Zimbabwe was ‘a country of fearful people.’ Police have turned down his application for protection for himself, his family and key associates during the elections.
The Mail & Guardian notes that, “as the chaos spreads, there are still no accredited observers on the ground to blow the whistle.” The newspaper quoted a senior foreign affairs official as saying the government was ’still finalising’ a list of foreign observers… Countries and organisations which had criticized past elections would be excluded.
Use of violence and torture widespread
Churches and human rights groups say a relentless wave of political violence over the past 12 months, in which police and other state security forces have played a major role, has rendered a free and fair contest impossible.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Professor Manfred Nowak, says “the high number of indictments for torture filed by the Attorney General’s Office show it is widespread.”
The opposition for Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says that incidents of violence and arrests of their candidates, polling agents and supporters have intensified. During the past month, more than 35 MDC candidates from Morgan Tsvangirai’s faction have been abducted or arrested on spurious charges.
Members of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe were abducted and beaten with iron bars, logs, booted feet and bottles.
Preparations for poll chaotic
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has expressed concern at the continued harassment of voters and aspiring candidates by election officials presiding over some voter inspection centres. ZHLR also notes that several candidates wishing to check the voters’ roll in preparation for their nomination have been denied their right to do so.
The MDC (MT) House of Assembly candidate for Harare North, Theresa Makone, says there are many ghost voters registered in the constituency and it was done systematically with what appears to be the collaboration of election authorities. In addition, many names of dead people still appear on the roll.
Mugabe’s spokesperson George Charamba has ordered the state broadcaster ZBC to pull off air voter education advertisements placed by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network. This is in blatant contravention of the SADC principles governing the conduct of elections in member countries. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has admitted it is ill equipped and under funded to carry out any exercise on its own.
The state-run Chronicle newspaper has rejected advertisements from presidential challenger Simba Makoni to advertise an election campaign rally, and media coverage is still heavily skewed in favour of the ruling party.
Vote buying is widespread and Zimbabwe’s central bank has “donated” a fleet of brand new vehicles to state media houses “for immediate use”.
Reporters Sans Frontieres says the daily lot of Zimbabwean journalists has consisted of permanent surveillance, police brutality and injustice. New electoral laws negotiated under South African mediation have made no difference to biased public media and the skewed electoral climate in Zimbabwe.
Ordered to vote for Mugabe
Retired Major-General Paradzayi Zimondi, the commissioner of prisons, told his staff: “I am giving you an order to vote for the President (Cde Mugabe)…”
The same week, Mugabe awarded salary increments to the military, just one month away from the elections. The armed forces are crucial in his bid to retain power.
Read the full article on our website here. This includes a detailed breakdown of all breaches and provides links to information sources. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive our articles by email.
