HARARE - A recent announcement by rival political leaders in Zimbabwean politics - President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai that general elections will be held next year has been welcomed by the generality of people although scepticism remains whether the troubled More than 200 Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters were murdered in the 2008 election violence. Political analysts believe the wounds are too fresh to have another election without making changes that will ensure free and fair elections. In the 2008 run-off elections preparations, soldiers, Zanu (PF) youth militia went on the rampage, throughout the country, setting up torture bases for perceived MDC supporters who had dealt a hammer blow to Mugabe. Some had parts of their bodies cut off while others were simply murdered and burnt. Their only crime was that they had voted for Tsvangirai against ageing dictator Mugabe. Most Zimbabweans are angry that Mugabe still wields a lot of power although MDC won the majority parliamentary seats.
Human rights defenders, journalists and MDC supporters are still being arrested and harassed. Zimbabwe Journalists for Human Rights (ZJHR) chairman and Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC) official, Pedzisayi Ruhanya, said while elections to choose a democratic leader should be held, he believes the environment has to be improved. Zimbabwe cannot be ready for elections next year unless the issues of democratic electoral processes are addressed. These include addressing the issue of violence which gripped the 2008 elections and addressing repressive laws, said Ruhanya.
These issues infringe on the fundamental rights of the people to freely elect their leaders. Zanu (PF) is still in power because of terror and we are likely to face the same situation next year if elections are held because one thing for certain is that Mugabe is not ready to lose power at the moment. If elections are held under the current environment, they will be open to abuse and fraud by Zanu (PF). We must have an election free from interference by soldiers and the militia. Yes, people want a new and proper government but they will not be given an opportunity to elect leaders of their choice in the current environment, continued Ruhanya. It is well known that Zanu (PF) will strive to use all means necessary to ensure that they hold on to power. Mugabe in particular, has in the past proved that he will hang on to power until he dies in office. So paranoid is Mugabe that he believes that no one will rule Zimbabwe except him with the assistance of his cabal, which includes the military.
Admittedly the inclusive government has brought with it renewed hope that the next elections will be free and fair. At least now Tsvangirai and his MDC and other political players can travel to the remotest parts of the country to carry out campaigns. A new Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has been put in place and for once it has a few moderate people unlike the previous George Chiweshe led ZEC which was infested with state security agents. The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) believes the environment is not yet good enough for a proper election. ZESN director, Rindai Chipfunde-Vava believes anomalies still exist. Elections held under the current conditions will not be free and fair, she pointed out. ZESN has observed that the prevailing conditions in the country such as the recent increases in politically motivated violence and the crack down on human rights defenders does not instil confidence about the possibility of a poll with integrity and free from violence and intimidation.
ZESN is concerned about the calls for elections without putting in place the necessary electoral reforms that would ensure the integrity of the ballot. In light of this, ZESN has come up with a gourmet of fundamental electoral reforms needed to protect the integrity of the ballot. Among these is the need for an election management body that is truly independent, with the human and material resources to conduct elections. In addition, ZESN has also called for an audit of the voters roll which has resulted in the disenfranchisement of some voters in the past as well as a bio-metric voters roll which minimises the suspicions of electoral fraud. While Zimbabwe is party to international protocols such as the international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and at regional level, the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, show very little progress has been done to implement the spirit of these instruments, said Chipfunde-Vava.
However, recent developments among negotiators in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) have given hope to Zimbabweans that a free and fair election could be possible. The three political parties in the GPA, Zanu (PF), MDC and the smaller faction of the MDC led by Arthur Mutambara have agreed to a number of electoral reforms. The proposed new amendments to the Electoral Act are designed to prevent the 2008 experience by introducing strict procedures on how the poll is to be conducted and results announced. They are also calculated to stem systematic rigging. Zimbabwes elections since 2000 have been hotly disputed due to political violence and rigging. From now on there will be counting of presidential election ballots at a local level to prevent manipulation and vote-rigging.
The changes also seek to prevent parties from using political violence as a tool of winning elections. There will be a special body in the electoral law to deal with political violence. The Attorney-Generals office will set up a special unit to prosecute perpetrators of violence Special courts will also be established at a magistrates court level to deal with cases of violence. ZEC will now have powers to summon parties accused of violence and give them warnings. Those convicted of violence will be banned from elections.
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