1 zimbabwe election support network [zesn] - Nehanda Radio

forms, increased access of opposition to national electronic and print media, political tolerance,
and amendments to POSA and AIPPA which increased accessibility of all areas by the
opposition towards March Harmonized elections.
Relations with the West
The 29 March 2008 Election also came at a time when relations between Zimbabwe with the
Commonwealth, Britain, USA, just to mention a few, were at their lowest. Following the fasttrack
land reform program and violent campaigns for the 2000 general elections and the 2002
presidential election, a verbal cold war has erupted between Zimbabwe and the western
countries with Britain and the USA accused of meddling into the internal affairs of Zimbabwe
and through supporting the opposition MDC plotting to effect “regime change”. Since 2005
election campaigns in Zimbabwe have generally gone under the tag Anti-Blair/Bush Elections
creating that the actual contest is between Zimbabwe, Britain and the USA. Implied here was
that the MDC was an inconsequential puppet party. This deterioration in relations with western
countries has seen Zimbabwe diverting its erstwhile reliance from the West to Eastern world
adopting a Look East Policy, a policy that has seen Zimbabwe relying more and more on
China, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia
Also instructive to note is that while over the years, SADC countries have demonstrated their
solidarity with Zimbabwe [for instance, by calling the Commonwealth and the European Union
to lift targeted “smart” sanctions against Zimbabwe, or refusing to attend SADC-EU ministerial
meetings that excluded Zimbabwe] the post 2005 era witnessed growing uneasiness with
political developments in Zimbabwe with Zambia, Botswana and even Tanzania openly
expressing their disquiet with the situation in Zimbabwe. The unfolding scenario is one of a
country and a leadership that is increasingly facing isolation.
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