Fairness of polls 'compromised'
2008-03-19 16:13
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Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says some white farmers will be spared under his controversial land reforms.
Zimbabwe's coalition government still has many challenges to face.
Harare - Any prospect of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe on March 29 has been undermined by "serious electoral flaws and human rights abuses", says Human Rights Watch.
Close to six million Zimbabweans were registered to vote in synchronised presidential, parliamentary and local elections, in which 84-year-old President Robert Mugabe was seeking to extend his 28-year leadership by five years.
In a report entitled "All Over Again: Human Rights Abuses and Flawed Electoral Conditions in Zimbabwe's Coming General Elections", the New-York-based watchdog accused the government of vote-buying, intimidating the opposition and restricting freedom of association and assembly.
Human Rights Watch also pointed to biased coverage in state media of the election and of the use of violence by state agents against human rights activists and opposition supporters.
Tsvangirai 'Mugabe's main challenger'
The atmosphere in this election campaign was described by most in Zimbabwe as far less repressive that in other polls since 2000.
Mugabe's main challengers, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and former finance minister Simba Makoni had, for example, been able to campaign in ruling party strongholds.
But "despite some improvements on paper to the election regulations, Zimbabweans aren't free to vote for the candidates of their choice", said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
The organisation called on international observers, in particular those from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to take into account the context in which the elections were held and not just the voting when making their assessment of the polls' fairness.
Police brutality
SADC's credibility as an observer in Zimbabwe elections was compromised in 2002 presidential elections after it failed to raise the flag over voter intimidation and flagrant irregularities.
Among examples of ongoing police brutality against civilians Human Rights Watch cites a protest in February by a teachers union, in which several demonstrators were beaten by police in detention and a woman was sexually assaulted.
The non-governmental organisation also pointed to the government's selective distribution of food and farming equipment in rural areas loyal to Mugabe as evidence of vote-buying.
State media also continued to devote far more coverage to Mugabe's than opposition campaigns, the report said.
The government, for its part, had complained that only elections won by the opposition would be considered free and fair by Western countries.
Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa, Simon Moyo had described the atmosphere in Zimbabwe as "so peaceful, so beautiful, it's fantastic".
Sapa-dpa
- SAPA