Mugabe seeks legitimacy
2005-03-29 09:39
Special Report
A classical music presenter for the BBC has been arrested and is in custody in Zimbabwe.
Harare - For the first time in years, members of Zimbabwe's embattled opposition are shouting their allegiance on the streets and wearing their party regalia openly.
As Thursday's parliamentary polls draw near, President Robert Mugabe has ratcheted down the violence and intimidation that have cowed dissent, hoping he can win a stamp of legitimacy for his nearly 25-year regime and pave the way for a successor of his choice. The question, analysts say, is whether the gamble will pay off for his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front.
At stake are the 120 elected seats in Zimbabwe's 150-seat parliament. But since the president appoints the remaining 30 seats, the MDC would need to win 76 seats for a majority.
Polishing Mugabe's image
The opposition won 57 seats in the last parliamentary election in 2000, despite what Western observers called widespread violence, intimidation and vote rigging. But it has lost six seats in subsequent by-elections.
Opposition leaders and human rights groups say Mugabe has not abandoned political violence and may be working behind the scenes to rig the vote. If his party does lose, the ever-defiant Mugabe could well void the elections.
But the apparent reduction of overt abuses is read by many as an attempt to polish his image. In addition, he has carefully picked election observers, barring those who have criticised the state of Zimbabwean democracy and allowing only those seen as friendly.
If Zanu-PF wins an election deemed free and fair, analysts say Mugabe can safely hand over power to a successor - once he chooses one - when his current term expires in 2008.
The opposition believes Zimbabweans have had enough of three-digit inflation, endless food shortages and joblessness in what was once a regional breadbasket.
Since the birth of the MDC six years ago, Mugabe's government has sought to shore up support with a radical land reform programme to right colonial-era imbalances.
But the often violent seizure of thousands of white-owned farms for redistribution to black Zimbabweans, coupled with years of drought and a worsening Aids epidemic, have destroyed the country's agriculture-based economy.
Opposition leaders concede, however, the challenge will be getting their supporters to the polls in a country that has never experienced a free and fair election - and ensuring their ballots are counted.
The ruling party has also shut down most independent media in Zimbabwe and is using state resources for campaigning.
Rights groups are also concerned about the state of the voters' roll, to which they have been given only limited access, and reports that rural voters are being led to believe their vote is not secret.
While the MDC leadership is upbeat about Thursday's poll, many Zimbabweans remain fearful of expressing their political allegiances openly.
- AP