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Election Bulletin
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
February 22, 2002

What do Zimbabweans think? Results of a survey on the Presidential Elections
Mass Public Opinion Institute

The research set out to find out the views of Zimbabweans on the electoral process with particular reference to the 2002 presidential elections. From the analysis of the data we conclude as follows:

1. Zimbabweans consider elections important and have set their minds on participating fully in the forthcoming presidential election. A total of 94.2% of respondents said elections are important while 84.7% indicated that they are registered as voters. In addition, 86.7% said they intend to vote in the 2002 presidential election. Another outstanding statistic is the 73.0% who consider the forthcoming election as very important. Furthermore, 78.0% of the respondents predict a higher turnout of voters in March than was the case in the June 2000 parliamentary elections.
2. A total of 69.2% believe that their vote influences what a president does. An impressive 90.9% believe their vote to be secret and 96.8% are aware of the 2002 presidential election. These statistics indicate a mature electorate, which is keeping abreast of the goings on in the electoral field. Politicians can therefore only take the Zimbabwean electorate for granted at their own risk.
3. Zimbabweans would like to see a professional and non – partisan military. This is borne out from the 84.3% who said the military should respect the outcome of the elections no matter who wins. Military intervention after the elections is therefore unlikely to find much support from the people.
4. Despite the current economic and political problems besetting this country currently a significant number of Zimbabweans see light at the end of the tunnel, with 62.1% saying they are hopeful about the future of this country.
5. Zimbabweans have a desire to be governed well. Asked to point out what they considered to be the most important issue in the coming election, 40.9% chose democracy and good governance, 33.1% said land and 24.4% said employment.
6. With 68.2% of the respondents saying they are very much in favour of presidential candidates debating on radio and television, it would appear that the Zimbabwean electorate is now more concerned with issues than with mere sloganeering.
7. Apparently there is a high degree of support for the idea of a government of national unity should either Mugabe (68.1%) or Tsvangirai (64.3%) win the 2002 presidential election. Yet the leadership in both parties is polarized.
8. Nor is having participated in the liberation war of any significance; 62.8% said such history is of no importance and 15.0% said it is of minor importance, an effective 77.8% not attaching significance to such credentials.
9. Asked whether Tsvangirai would make a better or worse president, 31.3% said he would be better, 15.0% said he would be worse while 21.2% said he would perform more or less the same as Mugabe. Asked to state the candidate they would vote for if elections were held today, 11.3% said Mugabe, 19.8% said Tsvangirai and 59.7% opted to keep their choice a secret. The task is in the interpretation of the nearly 60% who opted to keep their choice a "secret".
10. Often it is asked should minor opposition parties, ZANU Ndonga in particular, have fielded candidates of their own or form an electoral strategic alliance with any of the two major parties, ZANU PF or MDC. 24.1% said ZANU Ndonga supporters should vote for a ZANU Ndonga candidate, 11.4% said ZANU Ndonga supporters should vote for a ZANU PF candidate, 27.6% said ZANU Ndonga supporters should vote for an MDC candidate but significantly 36.7% said "don’t know". Since Mr. Wilson Kumbula has been barred from using the name ZANU Ndonga and it’s symbol, the ZANU Ndonga constituency is open terrain to those who will talk to it nicely.

Finally, people want to be interviewed on these and other related issues with 87.3% saying yes interviews such as these are important.

Visit the Mass Public Opinion Institute fact sheet
Visit the Crisis in Zimbabwe fact sheet

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