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Election diary
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
January 18, 2008

Editorial
As the nation draws closer to the March 2008 elections, there is need to fully explore the administrative and political environments to ascertain whether the playing field is level or not. There is need to understand the impact current laws and SADC guidelines have on the process and outcome of the elections. As such, The Catalyst team will be running a daily alert known as The Election Diary. Alerts will be circulated everyday which highlight the electoral environment. Analytical pieces will also be circulated twice a week and these will dwell on laws governing and affecting elections. There will also be a detailed analysis of the SADC guidelines on free and fair elections which are meant to inform the way elections are run in the SADC region which includes Zimbabwe.

Introduction
Across the globe, elections have been used in conflict management and as a show of democracy. By and large, international governments view elections as the basis for legitimate government as they have enshrined this in international declarations and agreements. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), it is noted that the 'will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government' as 'expressed in periodic and genuine elections.' The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) holds that 'Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity . . . to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections.'

The UDHR, the ICCPR and other international instruments establish two essential conditions for democratic elections: (1) universal and equal suffrage, and (2) a secret ballot.[1]

For elections to be deemed free and fair there must be accessibility to the media by political parties, promotion of freedoms, non- discrimination of political parties, inclusiveness of all voters, equal funding and the elections should be administered by an independent board among other important democratic requirements.

Elections in Africa
Since the birth of multi-partyism in Africa, in the second wave of democracy, elections have seized to be a democratic process rather, they have become a cliché. Incumbent governments, most of which have been in power since independence view elections only as a dispensation to keep them and their political parties in power rather than as a crucial mechanism for popular government.[2]

It is rare for elections in most countries in Africa not to be accompanied by violence, intimidation, blatant vote buying and allegations of rigging. Incumbents are often accused of persecuting opposition parties and denying them equal access to the media and freedom to organize rallies and mobilize support.[3] From Nigeria, where elections have been blemished by violence and election rigging to Togo where opposition parties have boycotted elections, there seems to be a void in the execution of free and fair elections.

Elections in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe has been under the rule of Robert Mugabe since she regained independence from white supremacy rule in 1980. Since 1980, three presidential elections have been held that is, in 1990, 1996 and in 2002. Parliamentary elections have been held five times, in 1980, 1985, 1995, 2000 and 2005 respectively while senatorial elections have been held once, in 2005.

In 2002, President Mugabe faced the biggest challenge to his hold on power when he won narrowly against the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) President, Morgan Tsvangirai. In the pre and post 2002 election periods, the government enacted laws which were meant to stifle dissenting voices. These laws included Public Order and Security Act (POSA), Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA)

Under Mugabe, the country has plunged into an abyss of economic, political and humanitarian turmoil owing to the president's dictatorial tendencies, with more than 85% of the population living in abject poverty. These elections have not yielded legitimate outcomes as they have been marred by massive rigging by ZANU PF. Most Zimbabweans have lost hope in the elections as they have become meaningless.

As a result the elections are no longer inclusive as the majority of voters have lost faith in the electoral process; those who vote do so without choosing as many Zimbabweans are intimidated into voting for the ruling party. For the elections to be deemed free and fair there is need to get rid of the loopholes which continue to shroud the electoral process.

Notes:
[1] Bjornlund. E. Elections in a democratizing world
[2] Makuni. M. The Financial Gazette, 18 October 2007
[3] Makuni. M. The Financial Gazette, 18 October 2007

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