Zimbabwe -- Mugabe faces election pressure

Sunday Times (SA) via ZWNews ^ | 4-Jul-2004

[Clive]

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has approved sweeping electoral reforms because of pressure from his neighbours.

Diplomatic sources said regional leaders forced Mugabe to usher in the reforms to avoid embarrassment at next month's key Southern African Development Community summit in Mauritius, where a "SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections" draft will be adopted.

The draft encourages SADC member states to "establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel, as well as competent legal entities including effective constitutional courts to arbitrate in the event of disputes arising from the conduct of elections".

It also says they must "safeguard human and civil liberties of all citizens, including freedom of movement, assembly, association, expression and campaigning". SADC member states are further encouraged to "take necessary measures and precautions to prevent the perpetration of fraud, rigging, or any other illegal practices throughout the whole electoral process".

President Thabo Mbeki has also been pushing for the reforms in a bid to salvage his eroded credibility after he promised Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis would be resolved by June. Mbeki met with Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leaders last Sunday to chart the way forward ahead of the elapse of his deadline on Wednesday.

Succumbing to pressure, Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF two weeks ago approved sweeping reforms to revamp the country's archaic electoral system. Consultations on the draft had been under way for some time. Zimbabwe is the only SADC country where electoral officials are all appointed by Mugabe. Official sources said Mugabe agreed to the SADC draft to avoid censure at the summit.

Zimbabwe has in recent years been the focus of SADC attention. There has been increasing pressure at home and abroad for Mugabe to modify the electoral system. The MDC has been demanding changes through public campaigns and private talks with Zanu PF.

The reforms will result in the introduction of an independent electoral commission, voting over one day instead of two, the use of transparent ballot boxes in place of wooden ones, and the counting of votes at polling centres.

Although the reforms were welcomed, analysts warned they would not level the playing field unless the poisoned political climate was addressed.

Suspected Zanu PF militants disrupted opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai's rally at Mvurwi in Mashonaland Central Province on Friday. The MDC said the militants used "stones, knobkerries and axes" to attack Tsvangirai and other party leaders.

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