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It's the count that counts: food for thought
Reviewing the Pre-election Period in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum
March 30, 2005

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Introduction
There is a clear difference between the electoral climate preceding the current 2005 parliamentary elections on the one hand and the previous parliamentary elections of 2000 and presidential elections of 2002 on the other. The latter elections were characterised by an intense interest and excitement amongst Zimbabwean voters. The present atmosphere around the current elections appears muted in comparison. Furthermore, another unfortunate and salient feature of the previous elections was systemic and endemic violence perpetrated, in the main, by ZANU (PF) supporters.¹ There is a general consensus between contesting parties that there has been a dramatic and remarkable reduction in physical violence in the build up to the present elections. This is not to say that violence has abated completely. However, the contrast with the previous two national elections is so marked that there is a temptation to maintain that the current elections are "free and fair" by comparison. Nonetheless, as will be seen below, notwithstanding the reduction in violence, the current electoral conditions fall well short of the regional standards for elections introduced by the "SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections" adopted in Mauritius in 2004.

The SADC Guidelines establish a general framework of minimum standards against which the impartiality, legitimacy and openness of an election can be measured. Section 2, entitled Principles for Conducting Democratic Elections, states:

2.1 SADC member states shall adhere to the following principles in the conduct of democratic elections:

2.1.1 Full participation of the citizens in the political process.
2.1.2 Freedom of association.
2.1.3 Political Tolerance.
2.1.4 Regular Intervals for elections as provided for by the respective National Constitutions.
2.1.5 Equal opportunity for all political parties to access the state media.
2.1.6 Equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for.
2.1.7. Independence of Judiciary and impartiality of the electoral institutions; and
2.1.7 Voter education.
2.1.8 Acceptance and respect of election results by political parties proclaimed to have been free and fair by the competent National Electoral Authorities in accordance with the law of the land.
2.1.9 Challenge of election results as provided for in law of the land.

Significantly, the Protocol recognizes that, in order for member states to undertake successfully the obligations outlined in Section 2, a set of human rights standards must also be observed. This point is succinctly captured in Section 7.4 of the Protocol. The provision states that SADC member states who are to hold elections must undertake to:

7.4 Safeguard the human and civil liberties of all citizens including freedom of movement, assembly, association, expression, and campaigning as well as access to media on the part of all stakeholders

In other words, for a "free and fair" election to take place, voters must have a "free and informed choice". For the current election, this "free and informed choice" is further restricted by the absence of previously available and affordable daily independent newspapers and strangled by the politicization of food handouts which cynically forces voters to choose between their own survival, and by extension their families, and the survival of the ruling party.

Conclusion
It has not been possible in the limited space available to highlight the many other aspects of the impending election that fly in the face of accepted democratic norms - such as the fact that the Government has arrogated to itself the sole power to conduct voter education programmes and that legislation recently passed by parliament has severely curtailed the operations of civil society organisations. The intention here is simply to outline some key aspects. Much of the damage to the democratic process has already been done. The chief culprit, this time around, ahead of violence and the closure of democratic space, is the politicisation of food handouts. If this is not effective, there is a danger that the defective voters’ roll, the voting process and vote counting will be manipulated to secure a ZANU (PF) victory.

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