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Transparency International Zimbabwe gets Election Observer status
Transparency International – Zimbabwe (TI-Z)
March 17, 2008

Introduction
Transparency International Zimbabwe (TI Z) in its own capacity as a civil society corruption watchdog and participatory good governance advocate applied and received an invitation to be an observer for the harmonized elections of 29 March 2008 through the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs(Ministry) in accordance with the law and the public invitation to do so.

The import of this observer status is that the organization shall be able to field its own observers across the country using its own criteria and consequently be in a position to write its own communiqué.

TI Z has been following the electoral trail through a series of Public meetings directed at raising public awareness on the potential of electoral corruption and related malpractices. The public meetings were held in four of the major cities, Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Gweru. The topics covered were:

• Harare Public Meeting: Building Blocks for Peaceful Elections
• Bulawayo Public Meeting: Guarding Against Electoral Fraud
• Gweru Public Meeting: Political Competition and Electoral Fraud
• Mutare Public Meeting: Increasing Transparency in Electoral Processes

The public meetings were also designed to be a part of the process for information gathering so that TI Z can document the anecdotal and researched evidence as given through presentations, panelists discussions and participants according to the electoral corruption and related malpractices they have experienced or witnessed in the run up to elections thus far as either first hand accounts of lived experiences or credible eye witness reports during the run up to the harmonized elections of 29 March 2008.

TI Z's involvement is not only important because it seeks to observe potential electoral corruption and malpractices but also because it advocates for more transparent, accountable and participatory democratic governance structures of which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is one. TI Z is concerned with the manner in which these elections are conducted because the electoral process is a critical element of civil participation in any democratic governance system. As such the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is a crucial pillar of governance whose activities should be transparent, accountable as well as accessible to the electorate and all political players as it seeks to ensure that there is equality of opportunity and resource allocation to all contestants and their supporters during this election period. One of the issues TIZ has been and shall continue to observe and monitor is the aspect of access to information from the ZEC to the electorate, political parties and other stakeholders, the timing of that information and its educational relevance at this crucial time in order for all citizens to make informed decisions.

Methodology
Though applied for a while ago, the invitation that granted the organization observer status was received on 13 March 2008. This gives the organization limited time to adequately plan for all the logistics involved. Nonetheless TI Z recognizes the importance of this opportunity and shall like many other organizations make good the opportunity given despite the limitations. As such the organization has in anticipation of this invitation made arrangements to use its youth and ethical leadership project to deploy at least fifty (50) election observers in all the major cities. The aim is to filed at least ten (10) per city. Using our contacts a call for interested parties to register their names and required information to the organization was sent out through our contacts who were able to hastily provide us with adequate names that were then forwarded to the Ministry for its approval. With the exception of Mutare adequate names were received from Bulawayo, Gweru, Harare and Masvingo. Mutare fielded one candidate and therefore cannot participate. The limitations of time mean that the matter cannot be pursued further. Supervisors for the four participating cities have also been identified and nominated. Training of observers and supervisors shall be conducted by members of the TI Z board who are accredited ZESN trainers. The registration of Bulawayo and Gweru observers and supervisors shall take place in Bulawayo at which point they shall as a group go to the Bulawayo Polytechnic for accreditation with the ZEC. Similarly the Harare and Masvingo observers shall also be trained in Harare where they shall also be accredited as observers at the Harare Polytechnic by the ZEC. This should happen between the 18th and 20th March 2008.

TI Z observers are called upon to look for:

1. Transparency of the electoral process throughout polling stations
2. Accountability of ZEC officers
3. Report clear evidence of unsuitable location of polling stations e.g. in rural areas this would imply locating it in a Chief or Headman's homestead or place of business thus exerting undue influence through intimidating surroundings.
4. Signs of manipulation or intimidation of the electorate by ZEC officials or the Police and Armed forces either through their words, actions or overwhelming presence in areas not approved in the Electoral Act
5. Signs of manipulation of the electoral process by either the ZEC or other persons
6. Abuse of office by ZEC officers to coerce, manipulate or otherwise exclude participation of candidates or the electorate from the process through means or reasons otherwise not provided for in the Electoral Act.
7. Presence of reporting or complaints mechanisms so that corruption or other malpractices can be speedily reported to the supervising officer of the ZEC
8. Signs of violence or the incitement of violence by the electorate, candidates and their supporters, the ZEC officers, Police or Armed forces or other, through words, or actions of intolerance or hate.
9. Other malpractices related to corruption or compromising the integrity of the electoral process.

Using the election form designed by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) observers shall provide three reports at three different points of the day. These reports shall be collected by the electoral observer supervisors deployed by TI Z in the four cities mentioned. Supervisors have also been nominated on the basis that they have a vehicle to do their supervisory duties. These reports shall be collated by the supervisors and faxed to the TI Z offices as quickly as possible within 6 - 12 hours of completion of the voting process and close of the polling stations.

These reports shall be analyzed and synthesized by the TI Z staff and Board to form the basis of its communiqué within 12 to 24 hours of completion of the entire electoral process up to the end of counting and public announcement of all the votes. This shall be done in the form of a press statement through a press conference to be arranged and called for by TI Z at the TI Z boardroom. This statement shall be presented by the Chairperson of the board of TI Z.

Visit the TI-Z fact sheet

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