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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
ANC
observers allege CIO pressure
Ezekiel Chiwara, The Zimbabwe Guardian
(London)
April 01, 2008
http://www.talkzimbabwe.com/news/117/ARTICLE/2024/2008-04-01.html
Three members of South
Africa's ruling African National Congress party's Youth League sent
to observe Zimbabwe's election have returned home early saying there
is constant surveillance amounting to intimidation by the country's
Central Intelligence Office (CIO), the Zimbabwe Guardian can reveal.
According to the members
of the South African observer mission, they returned to South Africa
early yesterday after one of their members was allegedly interrogated
by suspected CIO members in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city.
"This shows the
level of intimidation that is still prevalent in Zimbabwe,"
said the observer who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal.
The observer, however, said the mission was happy that the Zimbabwe
government had allowed its delegation to enter and leave the country
without any major interference, adding that it had found that conditions
for a free and fair election were not evident. He said a report
they were working on would reflect on the role which was played
by state controlled media, that is the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
and the Herald newspaper, which he said had openly campaigned for
President Robert Mugabe, who is facing strong opposition from Movement
for Democratic Change's Morgan Tsvangirai and Independent candidate
Dr. Simba Makoni. He said the public media had done this by vilifying
the opponents and giving more TV airtime and paper space to the
ruling Zanu PF party. He also said the observer mission had noted
that there was no voter education and voters' rolls were not given
to the opposition.
"We also noted that
people had voted in areas where they did not live and that the country's
electoral commission was being run by senior leaders of Zanu PF.
The remaining result for the Presidential contest is reported to
be in favour of Morgan Tsvangirai," he said, adding that there
were fears of rigging the Presidential vote, thus the delay of the
announcement of the results.
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