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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2008 harmonised elections - Index of articles
16
days to go
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition
March 13, 2008
Introduction
In
developed and developing democracies around the world, elections
are used in conflict management and as a show of democratic legitimacy.
International governments view elections as the basis for legitimate
government as they have enshrined this in international declarations
and agreements. According to the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, 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 holds that; 'Every citizen shall have the
right and the opportunity . . . to vote and to be elected at genuine
periodic elections.'
Zimbabwe is 16 days away
from the crucial 2008 general election and the electoral environment
continues to tilt in favor of the ruling party, ZANU PF. For elections
to be deemed free and fair, there must be accessibility to the media
by all 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 body.
From the analysis
made below of the electoral environment in Zimbabwe, it is pivotal
to note how, less than three weeks before the election, the environment
remains unfavorable to the running of free and fair elections.
SADC guidelines
| SADC Principle/Guideline |
Compliance |
Non-Compliance |
| Polling
stations should be in neutral places. |
ZEC published
the list of polling stations in the Saturday 08 March edition
of the Herald. |
However,
the polling stations announced are few and not in neutral places
hence ZESN has advised ZEC to increase the number of polling
stations in urban areas particularly in the Harare and Bulawayo
provinces. ZESN argues if the elections are to be successfully
held in one day in comparison with the number of polling stations,
each person in the urban areas will need 15 seconds if the rest
are to cast the ballot. The issue has been taken to court and
is currently being handled by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights (ZLHR). |
| Voter Education |
|
ZESN is
still deprived of carrying out voter education programs hence
it has resorted to advising ZEC. |
| SADC Election
Observation Missions should be deployed at least two weeks before
the voting day. |
According
to the ZTV News at 800pm 13 March 2008; The SADC Observer Team
is currently in Zimbabwe. 100 more are expected in the country
before the election day. |
|
| Full participation
of the citizens in the political processes. |
- |
Brian Hungwe,
a senior freelance reporter who was banned from reporting any
news from Zimbabwe especially news pertaining to elections,
appeared before the High Court on the 12th of March 2008 to
contest the decision by MIC. However, the presiding judge, Justice
Chitakunye refused to hear the case arguing that it was not
urgent. Hungwe's legal team is taking the case to the
Supreme Court. |
| Equal opportunity
to exercise the right to vote and be voted for. |
Simba Makoni
the former ZANU PF Finance Minister and politburo member and
independent presidential candidate has taken his "meet
the candidate" campaign to the rural areas according to
reports by ZTV News at 8pm: 12 March 2008
The MDC-Tsvangirai
faction on the 12th of March 2008 launched its policy document
highlighting programmes it will undertake if elected into
power as reported in The Herald of 13 March 2008.
According
to provisions outlined in the Citizenship Act, people who
were born and bred in Zimbabwe but with foreign origin are
considred aliens and as such cannot partake in electoral processes.
This has deprived many Zimbabweans, who have only been citizens
of the country a chance to select their desired leaders.
|
On the
11th of March the MDC Chinhoyi branch was denied a clearance
to hold a rally for unspecified reasons. In Bindura, the MDC
Parliamentary candidate, Broadwin Nyawude was arrested together
with two councilors under unclear circumstances. They are still
being held at the Bindura police Station. |
| Equal opportunity
for all political parties to access the state media. |
All ruling
party and opposition campaigns are coming out on the national
television. Simba Makoni's rally that he held in Mkoba-Gweru
and the MDC-Tsvangirai faction policy document launch were broadcast
on the national television on the 12th of March. |
The Independent
of 7 March 2008 reported that MDC wrote a letter on the 28th
of February 2008 to Henry Muradzikwa, the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of ZBC accusing the public entity of blacking out the
opposition. This was in light of the refusal by ZBC to cover
the MDC campaign launch in Mutare while the President's
birthday bash was covered the whole day. |
| Freedom
of association. |
- |
ZEC held
a meeting in Bindura and all those who were wearing MDC T-Shirts
were ordered to remove them while those from ZANU PF were allowed
to parade their T-Shirts. |
| Political
tolerance |
- |
In the
eastern province of Manicaland, sources reported that the home
of war veterans leader, Misheck Masukume, was burned down on
Wednesday the 5th of March by unknown assailants. According
to a report by the Voice Of America on the 7th of March 2008,
18 opposition members in the Mashonaland West town of Karoi,
including Timothy Mutsunge, a candidate for the Magunje constituency,
were arrested on Monday the 3rd of March 2008 and charged with
violating the Public Order and Security Act.
MDC(Tsvangirai)
activists Simba Marigwa, Trymore Masitsinwa, Wellington Chigumadhe
and Geoffrey Chikwawaire were brutally assaulted by ZANU PF
youth while putting up posters of MDC President, Morgan Tsvangirai.
The four are currently receiving treatment at Avenues Clinic.
On 8 March
2008, ZANU PF supporters attacked MDC supporters attending
a rally in Mbare. This was in full view of the police. On
the same day, four MDC youths were brutally assaulted and
illegally detained at ZANU PF offices in Mbare. They were
later released after four hours when the police intervened.
The Standard
(13 March 2008) reported that independent candidates aligned
to Simba Makoni were were attacked by suspected ZANU PF supporters.
|
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