1 zimbabwe election support network [zesn] - Nehanda Radio

them an opportunity to sell themselves to the people. This also denies the electorate an
opportunity to make informed choices on the candidates.
Vote Distribution in Government Press
In its analysis of voice Distribution in government press a week before the election, MISA
findings were as follows: Diplomats [20%], ZANU PF [41%], ZRP [14%], MDC [8%] and
government [8%]. While the MDC T has been written about in government press, it is
interesting to note that all the publicity in government press has been very negative. MDC T
has been portrayed as “violent thugs”, “puppets of the west” and other such negative
insinuations. All media coverage for the MDC T on state owned print and electronic media has
been negative. State media coverage was heavily skewed in favor of ZANU PF.
Voice Distribution in the Private Media
MMPZ analysis of voice distribution in the private media revealed ZANU PF with 34%,
diplomats with 7%, MDC with 26%, ZRP with 9%, ZEC with 1%] while other parties had 3%
coverage. MDC T received more coverage in private papers yet these are not accessed by
most of the public due to prohibitive costs and unavailability. For many Zimbabweans, external
broadcasters provided more reliable news than the highly polarized state owned media.
Withdrawal of the MDC Presidential Candidate
On the 21 st of June 2008, MDC T announced that it was considering withdrawing from the race
as a result of the uneven electoral playing field. The MDC T presidential aspirant had been
detained five times in a space of two weeks, MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti detained while
campaign buses and vehicles were impounded effectively rendering the campaign impossible.
The police explained that the detentions of the MDC presidential candidate as security or
routine checks. The pronouncement to withdraw was met by the ZANU PF candidate with
cyncism as an attempt to discredit the election, which ZANU PF alleged it was sure to win.
On 22 June 2008, the MDC presidential candidate officially withdrew from the presidential race
after disruptions of his rally by armed forces and suspected ZANU PF supporters, which he
was scheduled to hold in Harare on the date in question. The youth militias barred people from
attending the rally, threatening unspecified actions.
This decision generated mixed reviews however with the bulk generally sympathetic with the
MDC decision which they described as prudent in the face of the orgy of retributive violence
that had been unleashed on his supporters. Some supporters however felt betrayed and
abandoned, mostly in view of the retribution visited upon them. To ZEC, the government of
Zimbabwe and ZANU PF, the MDC T presidential candidate remained officially in the race
despite his written withdrawal submission alleging that his withdrawal was unlawful and
therefore not effective. There was a legal debate that ensued as some legal minds held that the
withdrawal was legal as 21 day period referred to the 1 st round of elections and not the run- off,
some argued that the MDC T participation was automatic since they had participated in the first
round of elections.
Calls for the Postponement of the Run Off
A week before the 27 June Election, the South African President [who is the commissioned
SADC mediator between ZANU PF and MDC] had flown into the country in a bid to postpone
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