1 zimbabwe election support network [zesn] - Nehanda Radio

their full view have also been fully documented. Security forces should conduct themselves
in a professional and non-partisan manner and should not serve the interests of individual
political parties. While the presence of police officers at polling stations is to maintain order,
deployment of large numbers of security forces at polling stations could lead to voter
intimidation.
Also disturbing is the growing partisan role of traditional leadership in politics. Reports of
traditional leaders who were actively involved in political campaigns, campaigning for the
ruling party, threatening known or suspected opposition supporters with eviction from their
fiefdoms or, ordering opposition supporters facing threats of eviction to pay a fine of an ox in
order to be forgiven were widespread. Such practices are in total breach of their traditional
god-fatherly role in their communities. Traditional leaders must remain apolitical, embracing
all their subjects regardless of their political persuasion and allowing their subjects to
exercise their freedom of choice and association.
The Electoral Court is not well capacitated to hear and make timely resolutions to all electionrelated
appeals within six months of the date of their submission with most pre-election
petitions finally cleared after elections. For the Electoral Court to resolve disputes
expeditiously before the election takes place there is need for competent, effective,
independent and impartial Judiciary and electoral institutions. There is also need to
complement the judges of the Electoral Court with staff, equipment and adequate resources.
Sound election administration is critical in building political party confidence in the conduct of
elections. However ZEC‘s management of the delimitation, nomination, voter education,
voter registration and inspection processes and release of the 29 March presidential results
was cause for concern. ZEC’s neutrality and ability to work without being influenced by
political parties is highly suspect yet such impartiality and autonomy is needed to enlist the
confidence of the electorate, political parties, and civic society. ZESN therefore recommends
that an independent and more professional, all-inclusive, accountable and politically
independent Election Management Body be established to run elections. The Body should
be appointed with the participation of opposition parties and key stakeholders. Such a Body
should be financed from the Consolidated Fund with its accountability to parliament and not
to the Minister or President which is currently the case.
The Political Impasse
To resolve the political impasse that has been dogging Zimbabwe since the emergence of
the MDC in 2000, the political leadership of the main political parties urgently engage in
hard talk and “will of the people” driven power sharing talks drawing lessons similar
experiences in other countries.
However, promising as it is, power-sharing is no stroll in a garden park. Finding a solution to
the Zimbabwe crisis is not going to be easy given the tangent stance of the main political
actors. How far each of the principals is prepared to climb down from their positions and how
far the mediator will manage the process will be decisive in determining either the collapse or
the success of the negotiations.
Particular sticky issues are the basis of the proposed power-sharing. Is the basis the 27 June
poll or 29 March poll results? This question is particularly burning given that both contenders
have hard-line positions on this sticky issue. How the mediator will handle this tricky question
without shortchanging the will of the people will prove a test case of his mediation
12