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'Free elections' like chasing a ghost, says AU official
The Standard (Zimbabwe)
January 27, 2008

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801280413.html

A representative of the African Union (AU) has warned of a repeat of the Kenyan post election violence if the voting process is not properly managed in Zimbabwe's forthcoming harmonised polls.

Pansy Tlakula, a Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in the AU commission on Human and People's Rights, spoke at a conference for lawyers, journalists and human rights activists last week.

She called for a delay in the announcement of the election results until participating parties had been notified of the outcome.

She said this could help avoid a situation where moves by Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki to have himself sworn in soon after the election results were announced sparked violence that has claimed hundreds of lives.

Tlakula, the South African Independent Electoral Commission's chief elections officer said although free and fair elections were ideal, they were not always possible.

"It's like chasing a ghost," she said. "Elections will never be free and fair and there are no mechanisms to make sure that they are not rigged.
They do not always produce a true reflection of the voting patterns due to human error and my advice is that there must be a delay in the announcement of results until participating parties have agreed on them to avoid a repeat of the Kenyan experience."

The conference was held under the theme, "Towards a free, fair and credible election in 2008.

Last week, the US ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee said he doubted the country was ready for the elections given the economic environment and the government's unwillingness to accept support from other countries.

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