Africa's own observers brand the electoral process as flawed
Extracts from the report on the Zimbabwe elections of the observer mission of the Southern Africa Development Community Parliamentary Forum.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The political and security climate
"... the political and security climate in which the elections were conducted ... was characterised by high levels of polarisation and political intolerance, lack of communication ... and lack of free flow of information to the electorate".
Violence and intimidation
The campaign was marred by violence in all provinces. Evidence indicated the majority of those affected were supporters of the MDC or those perceived to be opponents of the ruling party and government.
Police conduct
The use of riot squads to disperse potential voters in some Harare constituencies raised questions about the impartiality of the police.
Voters' roll
A voters' register is a basic condition for a successful election. The voters' roll ... was made available only three days before the polls. As a result of this, a large number of people were unable to vote.
Freedom to campaign
The ruling party's campaign was uninterrupted, [but] some of opposition party meetings were cancelled ...
Polling stations
Information on the location of polling stations was not available to enable the electorate to make informed decisions. The reduction of polling stations in urban areas had a major impact.
Access to public media
The slanted coverage of the state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and the Zimbabwe Newspapers deprived the electorate of an opportunity of an informed choice.
Conclusion
The climate of insecurity ... was such that the electoral process could not be said to adequately comply with the norms and standards for elections in the SADC region.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments