Zimbabwe: 'Free and Fair poll not possible' says National Democratic Institute
FROM EISA Zimababwe Election Update 2000, 1, 5 June, 9-10.
International Observers from the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) concluded that free and fair elections were not possible due to mounting government-sponsored violence, which has killed at least 23 people.
The report says hundreds more have been wounded and thousands have fled to the cities, becoming refugees in their own country. The Financial Gazette, a well regarded weekly reported that 'more than 6 000 villagers had fled the countryside into Harare and other cities as armed bands of former guerillas and ZANU PF youths stepped up a terror campaign against the opposition in rural areas."(The Financial Gazette May 25-31 2000).
The statement was offered by the NDI after a 15-22 May pre-election visit organized by the NDI. NDI is a non-governmental organization that promotes democracy worldwide. The institute has conducted pre-election, election and post-election observation delegations in more than 50 countries in Africa and around the globe. The purposes of this Zimbabwe pre-election delegation were to express the support of the international community for a democratic election process in Zimbabwe and to assess the political environment surrounding the upcoming elections as well as the state of electoral preparations.
In summary the observer mission's report states that "conditions for credible democratic elections in Zimbabwe do not exist at this time."
The report says the violence has created an atmosphere of anxiety and fear and has substantially restricted the exercise of freedoms of opinion, expression, association, assembly and movement, as well as the right to be secure from physical harm due to political affiliation.
It notes further that the abilities of political parties and many candidates, predominantly from the opposition, to campaign openly and freely do not meet international standards for fair electoral competition.
"The effects of violence and attempts at political intimidation have undermined trust among many Zimbabweans in the secrecy of the ballot and have raised fears of retribution for voting against the ruling party," the report says.
While the mission points a finger at the current widespread political violence as a major factor in this state of affairs, it identifies other factors that have contributed to this oppressive political climate.
One important factor is the mass media and the role that it should play in providing the electorate with adequate and accurate information upon which voters make an informed political choice.
The NDI report notes that the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) holds a monopoly on radio and television broadcasting and that government-controlled media news coverage has been found to be grossly biased in favour of the ruling party.
"Bias in news coverage conditions the electorate's attitudes with inaccurate information, which negates the rights of citizens to seek and receive the information needed to make a free and informed choice when voting," says the NDI report.