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Parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe on March 31, 2005, a date set by President Robert Mugabe, who was reelected president in 2002 and whose term does not expire until 2008. The parliament will be dissolved on March 30, one day before the elections. [1] (http://www.zimbabweherald.com/index.php?id=40304&pubdate=2005-02-02) The voters' roll was closed on February 4. [2] (http://www.zimbabweherald.com/index.php?id=40322) Nomination courts will sit on February 18 to receive names of those intending to contest in the polls.
Zimbabwe ratified new Southern African Development Community rules in August 2004 governing principles and guidelines on elections; however, no reports on Zimbabwe's compliance have been issued by the body.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change, who will be challenging Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party, has complained that the country is not yet ready for the elections, and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai initially said that the party was not certain whether it would contest the elections or boycott them; however, on February 3 2005 spokesperson Paul Themba Nyathi told a news conference [3] (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1107432722806B251) "It is with a heavy heart that the MDC has decided to participate in the elections ... This is a decision based primarily on the demands of our people".
All of the 120 elected seats in the 150 seat parliament will be up for election. The last parliamentary elections were held in 2000. Notably, Jonathan Moyo, the information minister, has been excluded from running by ZANU-PF, which decided a woman should contest the Tsholotsho constituency instead of him. This has been linked to Moyo's opposition to Joyce Mujuru. [4] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4151605.stm)
Free and Fair elections
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)—a member of the South African ruling party alliance— sent a fact-finding mission in October 2004 to talk to the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and research conditions for a fair poll. They were deported from Zimbabwe within hours after police broke up a meeting between them and ZCTU.
On February 2, 2005, a second mission led by Zwelinzima Vavi, Secretary-General of COSATU, was turned back [5] (http://www.finance24.com/Finance/Companies/0,,1518-24_1656338,00.html) at Harare airport, charged under Section 18A of the Immigration Act which relates to prohibited immigrants. In response, George Bizos, a respected human rights lawyer, said that all Southern African Development Community members are allowed to enter Zimbabwe without applying for a visa. [6] (http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,97066,00.html)
After a meeting the next day between the unions in South Africa Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said "It is quite clear at the moment as things stand that there cannot be free and fair elections".
ZCTU requested that an independent electoral commission be established and international observers be allowed in the country, and the government also needed to scrap strict laws restricting the opposition's access to the media and barring it from holding public rallies and meetings without police permission. To achieve this they suggested that the date of the elections be postponed.
By February 4, an SADC team tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that Zimbabwe complies with a regional protocol to ensure free and fair elections, had yet to receive permission to visit. [7] (http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20050204064042901C914208)
Participating parties
Independence celebrations
Zimbabwe's 25 year anniversary of independence, all under Robert Mugabe's rule, is on April 18, 2005. Zanu-PF wants these celebrations after the elections, not before, so they are unlikely to agree to a postponement.
See also
Reference
- Agence France-Presse, "Mugabe calls key Zimbabwe elections for March 31", February 1, 2005.
- Zimbabwe Independent, "Zim not ready for free, fair poll", (http://www.theindependent.co.zw/news/2005/February/Friday4/1607.html) February 4, 2005.
- Zimbabwe Independent, "Dongo is back", (http://www.theindependent.co.zw/news/2005/February/Friday4/1603.html) February 4, 2005.
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