Election flawed - observers

Zimbabwe's election cannot be called free and fair, an independent observer group told IRIN on Tuesday as ballot counting continued. The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) told IRIN that the presidential poll - in which incumbent Robert Mugabe faces the stiffest challenge yet to his 22-year rule from Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai - could not be endorsed as too many people had been disenfranchised. ZESN is an umbrella body consisting of 38 church and civic groups. Deputy spokesman Tawanda Hondora said: "It certainly was not free and fair because the environment was not conducive to a free and fair election. The pre-election period was characterised by a high incidence of politically related violence, primarily orchestrated by state-trained militia and war veterans who are known sympathizers of (the ruling) ZANU-PF. "At the same time there was a deliberate use of the law by the government, and in particular the contesting candidate Mugabe, to confuse the process and at the same time disenfranchise various sectors of Zimbabwe's electorate. The ruling party and government have, by using terror tactics in rural areas and simply frustrating the voting process in urban areas, ensured that the process favours Mugabe." Hondora said he would be "shocked out of my wits if Mugabe loses this election" as Mugabe had "played all his cards and worked exceedingly hard to ensure he wins the election by any means necessary". An example of this was the late opening of polling stations in Harare on the court-ordered third day of voting on Monday. The same stations closed at 19H00 on Monday while long queues of people had still not voted. Various sections of Zimbabwe's electorate had been disenfranchised, Hondora said. "The reduction of polling stations in urban areas (allegedly by 50 percent) was because they (the government) have accepted the MDC has (majority) support in urban areas. It's no coincidence that government increased polling stations in rural areas, notwithstanding that we have not had any significant complaints that rural populations do not have access to polling stations." The Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) also expressed concern at the reduction of polling stations in urban areas, but team leader Dr Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika told IRIN she could not comment on the freeness or fairness of the election. "EISA does not use the terms because we could not agree on definitions of free and fair," she said. As to the electoral process itself, Mbikusita-Lewanika said: "My own summary (of the poll) is that the major problem is that many people have not voted, and obviously those who have not voted are not happy. However, the overall arrangements for the poll impressed me." EISA is not viewed as hostile by the government because its role is to support electoral processes throughout the region and not simply to sit in judgment. Thus they have had the benefit of "friendly briefings". At one such briefing, EISA expressed concern about the reduction of polling stations in urban areas, but was told the "reduction would only be by 10 percent". Reuters and AFP reported that Britain cited "pretty strong" evidence on Tuesday that Mugabe had "stolen" Zimbabwe's landmark vote, in a blunt assessment shared by many observers who said it was neither free nor fair. Norwegian observers reported major flaws in the election amid growing criticism of the fairness of polls conducted in an atmosphere of violence, intimidation and legal wrangling. Human rights group Amnesty International also condemned voter intimidation and harassment of observers, and called for the immediate release of more than 1,400 people detained by security forces. Zimbabwe's Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, meanwhile, told reporters the election had been "exemplary". The Southern African Development Community (SADC) observer mission reportedly said the election was not transparent. The head of the SADC observer mission made his comments after the Zimbabwe Independent Electoral Commission (ZIEC) refused to release figures on the total number of people who voted. SADC parliamentary forum observer mission chief Duke Lefhoko told The Namibian that he was stunned when ZIEC refused to give the total figures of people who have voted so far. "On the first day, they were disclosing the figures, but now they are not co-operating. Why the sudden change of heart? They have been transparent, now they are not transparent," the newspaper quoted him as saying on Tuesday. More reaction from the many observer groups in Zimbabwe is expected over the next few days as official results are collated.