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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2002 Presidential & Harare Municipal elections - Index of articles
Elections
were not free and fair
Ditshwanelo
- The Botswana Centre for Human Rights
April
03, 2002
DITSHWANELO The Botswana Centre
for Human Rights is convinced that the Zimbabwean Presidential Elections
held on 9-11 March 2002, were not free and fair.
Elections are a process which include the pre-election, actual election
and post-election phases. Since February 2000, there has been election-related
violence, which has led to loss of life, intimidation and damage
to property. As stated by the SADC Parliamentary Forum Election
Observation Mission, `the climate of insecurity obtaining in Zimbabwe
since the 2000 Parliamentary elections, was such that the electoral
process could not be said to adequately comply with the norms and
standards for elections in the SADC region'.
From May 2000, DITSHWANELO embarked on a series of solidarity actions
in support of the people of Zimbabwe. As part of these activities,
DITSHWANELO facilitated meetings for civil society representatives
to lobby the Government of Botswana, members of The European Union,
and other relevant stakeholders.
DITSHWANELO also held three (3) Focus Seminars at which civil society
representatives shared the realities of life in Zimbabwe, as experienced
by those who were considered not to be supporters of ZANU-PF.
DITSHWANELO issued a number of press statements in order to raise
the awareness of the Botswana public about the unfolding events,
which culminated in the creation of a `climate of insecurity' for
both the 2000 Parliamentary and 2002 Presidential elections in Zimbabwe.
DITSHWANELO monitored the 2002 Presidential elections as a member
of a Southern African NGO delegation. We observed twenty-four (24)
polling stations in three (3) constituencies in the province of
Mashonaland East.
DITSHWANELO noted that all the factors necessary to facilitate a
free and fair election, were absent. These included the effects
of the numerous and unexpected changes to the electoral laws. These
changes caused much confusion amongst both the voters and the electoral
institutions. Some of the consequences of the legislative changes
were: voters were turned away from polling stations because they
had gone to the wrong constituency; reduction of polling stations
in towns led to many being denied the opportunity to vote; the deliberate
delay by the Registrar General to implement the court decision extending
the voting hours to a third day in Harare and Chitungwiza; the misuse
of the national Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) by ZANU-PF
through its broadcasts of Chimurenga (liberation struggle) war films
on the television and Chimurenga songs on the radio, during the
voting period.
The observers of the SADC Parliamentary Forum Election Observation
Mission, Commonwealth Observer Mission, and Zimbabwe Election Support
Network (ZESN) noted amongst other serious concerns, the effect
of political violence and intimidation, particularly against MDC
supporters; failure of law enforcement officers to impartially apply
the law; prevention of civil society to engage in voter education;
lack of independence of the Electoral Commission; the inflation
of the number of rural votes; obstruction of opposition party ability
to campaign; and non-timely publication of the supplementary voters'
role.
DITSHWANELO strongly recommends that:
Meaningful dialogue aimed at addressing the continuing human rights
violations be entered into between ZANU-PF, other political parties
and civil society Regional institutions, such as SADC, OAU, the
Commonwealth and the European Union (EU) explore the possibility
of making substantial contributions toward the holding of a repeat
Presidential Election before the end of 2002.
3 April 2002
Gaborone
For more information please contact:
DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights
Private Bag 00416
Gaborone
Botswana
Tel: +267 306998
Fax: +267 307778
E-mail: legal.ditshwanelo@info.bw
Visit the Sahringon
fact sheet for Ditshwanelo
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