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Zimbabwe |
ELECTIONS
The countdown to the most hotly contested presidential elections
in Zimbabwe’s
history has begun.
The fate of all Zimbabweans hinges on these elections which are being held 9-10 March. Whatever happens in the elections will also have a rebounding effect on other Southern African countries. Sensing defeat in the elections, Mugabe’s government had set new requirements for prospective voters which threaten to prevent millions of Zimbabweans from casting their votes.
Voter registration
In order to register, prospective voters were required to produce proof of residence together with their identity cards. Rural dwellers and farm workers needed village heads to vouch for their residence status. Village heads are almost always members of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party. Urban dwellers had to bring title deeds or certificates of occupation or credit store statements in the voter’s name, showing their physical address.
All these new requirements effectively saw rural women, the urban poor who lacked title deeds, and young people, having their rights to register as voters removed. Postal votes have been cancelled and this will deny over three million Zimbabweans who are outside Zimbabwe, the right to vote. Ironically, the only people outside Zimbabwe who are allowed to vote are diplomats. Diplomats who represent Zimbabwe in various countries are appointed by Mugabe.
The MDC‘s president, Morgan Tsvangirai says: «Ev-ery Zimbabwean over the age of 18 has a right to vote. All these new rules established by the ZANU-PF government are an attempt to rig the election even before it has started.»
The government has also banned Churches and other civic organisations from conducting voter-education exercises. The government-controlled Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC) is now the only body that is allowed to conduct voter-education. The ESC is chaired by Sobuza Gula-Ndebele, a ZANU-PF sympathiser who is assisted by Chief Bepura a senior ZANU-PF member.
Zimbabwe’s largest grouping of civic organisations, the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) demonstrated every Wednesday from 21 November 2001, against these new requirements for voters. NCA chairperson Lovemore Madhuku said: «Enough is enough. Now is the time for every Zimbabwean to stand up and be counted.»
South Africa‘s President Thabo Mbeki has warned of civil conflict if Zimbabwe’s presidential poll is not free and fair. Mbeki has also condemned the harassment of journalists and the absence of press freedom in Zimbabwe.
Mbeki said it was imperative for the Southern African Development Community’s task team on Zimbabwe to intervene urgently to halt disorder in Zimbabwe. The SADC team comprises the leaders of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi.
Mugabe has placed stringent rules and regulations on obervers for the elections. In a strong statement to Britain, Mugabe said: «Let the Blairs, the Cooks and the Straws know that no one should interfere in our internal affairs.» The 15 nation European Union (EU) has said that conditions currently prevailing in Zimbabwe are not conducive to a free and fair poll. Mugabe has responded by saying that Zimbabwe will never allow the EU to lecture it on how to conduct elections.
Conditions for free and fair elections
Zimbabwe’s civic organisations such as the Zimbabwe Election Support network are insisting on the observance of the following minimum conditions for free and fair elections to take place:
It is one thing to demand minimum electoral conditions and another for Mugabe’s government to take those conditions seriously. It would seem that President Mugabe will not let anything block his quest to retain power.
Zimbabwe — Reactions to EU sanctions
(Updated by ANB-BIA, 20 February 2002)
Some African nations have expressed surprise at the EU‘s decision to impose sanctions (18 February) against Zimbabwe and withdraw its election observers. Neighbouring South Africa describes the move as «difficult to fathom». Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad says: «We’re really surprised at this decision, because if there are allegations that elections might not be free and fair, then it is important to ensure that as many neutral, objective, impartial observers are in place».
The South African head of the election observer team from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Samuel Motswaynarnay, contests the view prevalent in Europe that Mr Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party is preventing free and fair elections through violence.
Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo also challenges the EU assertion that Mr Mugabe is using unacceptable means to ensure his re-election. «What are the democratic principles that he is flagrantly abusing?» Mr Obasanjo asked. «He says he is going into an election. He has parties other than his own that are allowed freely to contest and participate. He has asked for observers from all over the world to come. He has asked for the foreign press from all over the world to come. He has worked with other political parties and civil society and religious leaders in his country, to reduce the level of violence.»
Joel Kibazo, spokesman for the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, says that its mission will go ahead as planned. «Our observers are now in Zimbabwe», he says. «We’ve got 10 on the ground, and by the end of the week, we will have a large group of observers. We hope to have more than 40 in total. The Commonwealth has decided that what it wants to do is observe the elections, and we are continuing with that.»
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