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This article participates on the following special index pages:
2002 Presidential & Harare Municipal elections - Index of articles
Report
on Presidential and Municipal Elections
Combined Harare
Residents' Association (CHRA)
March
26, 2002
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA) has led the fight for democratically
elected representation in our city for the last three years and
we are deeply disappointed that our eventual victory has been used
by the state to undermine and disenfranchise thousands of Harare’s
residents.
We opposed the
conflation of the elections with the presidential ballot from the
start and, even on the eve of elections, applied unsuccessfully
to the courts for certain steps to be taken to avert the disaster
we anticipated. The courts in their wisdom decided that the holding
of the elections was entirely an administrative question to be determined
by the Registrar General. This was despite the glaring evidence
of the contempt with which the Registrar General had regarded previous
court rulings; a contempt that had to be ‘legitimised’ by decree
of the President. At no time did we hold any faith in the ability
or the intention of the Registrar General to hold free and fair
elections and events have done nothing to erode our pessimism.
Combined Harare
Residents Association regards both the presidential and the municipal
elections as fundamentally flawed. This judgement is based on the
following observations:
- The failure
of the government to comply with an endless succession of court
orders and to subvert the legal process through the issuing of
statutory instruments undermined both the independence of the
judiciary and the faith of citizens in the electoral process.
The issuing of decrees on the eve of the elections merely served
to confuse voters and to cast an opaque shadow over the conduct
of the elections.
- The chaotic
state of the voters’ roll, the failure of the Registrar General
to close the rolls timeously and to make these freely available
for inspection as required by the Electoral Act (Part IV Sect
18) is a bureaucratic arrogance and incompetence that undermined
this democratic process. Our experience with the January voters
roll can only lead us to believe that the incompetence and erroneous
data therein was a deliberate ploy to frustrate voters. This view
is supported by the detailed reports of others (e.g. ZIMCET) in
civil society.
- The
failure of the ESC to accredit adequate numbers of observers from
civil society (and none from CHRA) undermined the requisite transparency
of the electoral process.
- The
reduction of polling stations in Harare by an average of 35% (50%
in some constituencies) and the resultant queues placed an intolerable
burden upon the electorate. An average of 5 300 registered voters
per polling station (as compared to 1 000 in the rural areas)
placed a patently absurd burden upon both the electorate and the
staff at the polling stations. Citizens should not be punished
for wanting to exercise their democratic rights. Queuing for thirty
hours to vote is insulting to us all as is being subjected to
the tortuous scrutiny of semi-literate election officials who
couldn’t tell if ‘Mi’ came after ‘Ma’ or ‘Mu’. There appeared
to be a deliberate attempt to frustrate the urban voter.
- The
failure of the ESC to provide accurate information (as evidenced
by their erroneous voter flow chart contained in The Herald of
6 March) undermined the voting process and confused voters. At
the briefing held on the same day at the International Conference
Centre, the Chairman of the ESC stated that both ballot boxes
and ballot papers would have different colours. In the event only
the size of the three ballot papers differed while the ballot
boxes only had paper labels to differentiate them. This resulted
in many ballots being placed in the incorrect boxes. In spite
of assurances to the contrary given by the Registrar General prior
to the elections, these ballots effectively became spoiled papers.
- We have innumerable
instances of residents being unable to vote in local elections
because they were not on the constituency roll (even if they were
on the ward roll). The right to vote in local elections is based
on residency not on citizenship and all those contributing to
the finances of the city should be able to select councillors
of their choice.
- Some polling
stations remained open throughout the night of the 9th
whereas others closed and riot police dispersed waiting voters.
The Registrar General should have implemented a consistent and
uniform policy.
- Many people
owning property in Harare but registered outside the area for
the presidential roll were similarly denied the right to chose
their representatives in the city.
- The failure
of the Registrar General to reopen the polls on time on the extended
day of elections, the prompt closing and the dispersal of those
voters still queuing at 7.00 pm can only lead us to believe in
an intent by the Registrar General to deny the vote to citizens.
- The failure
of the Registrar General to release full results of the municipal
elections (not only those votes cast for the winning candidates)
timeously does little to promote faith in his office and encourages
the proliferation of rumours.
- The post-election
disqualification of two successful candidates (even though the
Registrar General had accepted their nominations only a few weeks
previously) highlights the incompetence and willfully anti-democratic
attitudes of the Registrar General.
CHRA therefore
wishes to advise the citizens of Harare that, while we applaud the
existence of an elected Mayor and Council at long last, the questions
raised by the flawed elections need to be addressed. We cannot therefore
regard the election results as legitimate. However our primary concern
must be for the well being of our city and all its citizens. We
have been governed for too long by an unrepresentative Commission
and we in the residents associations will promote a working relationship
at ward and city level with the new Mayor and Councillors. Those
candidates elected to office will have to work within this context
and will need to establish their credentials on an individual and
collective basis to win the support and trust of the citizens of
Harare.
We believe that
the way forward is to revisit the constitutional debate in the search
for a truly democratic constitution that will promote and enhance
the participation of citizens in all levels of government. Under
a new constitution, we hope that the holding of separate and legitimate
local elections will be possible.
CHRA believes
that the Registrar General should be replaced with a civil servant
who has both the will and the capacity to perform his or her functions
diligently and with due humility. We believe that even a return
to the former system of local government elections run by the town
clerk would be a great improvement.
We call upon
all those principled citizens who have been withholding the payment
of rates in objection to the illegal Commission to now make payment.
We also call upon the new Council to engage fully with the community
through the established residents' associations so that together
we can start rebuilding our beloved city.
We call for
the immediate publication of full election results, including those
ballot papers spoiled by being placed in the incorrect box.
Mike
Davies
Acting
Chairman
Combined
Harare Residents Association
Visit the CHRA
fact sheet
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