Catholic Commission say conditions not suitable for free elections

By Tererai Karimakwenda
15 February, 2008

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), considered the human rights watchdog for the Roman Catholic Church, released a report on Monday that concluded that the situation on the ground in Zimbabwe was not conducive to holding free and fair elections in March. This is just seven weeks ahead of the harmonized elections set for March 29th. The CCJP is a respected organization that is also known for its detailed documentation of the Matabeleland atrocities of the mid-eighties, known as Gukurahundi.

The new report examined several issues that would affect the outcome of the polls, including the voters’ roll, the role of the media, voter education and the economic crisis that has gripped the country.

Father Zimbiti from the CCJP said there was not enough time to prepare adequately for the elections. He criticized the voters’ roll that was compiled by the Electoral Commission appointed by the Mugabe regime, saying it was in shambles. The final list was not reviewed and it contains many names of dead people. He said the report strongly recommended that the ZEC be dissolved and a new one be appointed ahead of any elections.

Voter education was found to be lacking. Zimbiti said existing programs were inadequate and many in the rural areas had no idea who was running in their constituencies or why they should vote for any particular candidate. Non-governmental organizations were not allowed to conduct voter education. Zimbiti said rural voters were simply being told to vote for the ruling party or they will not have food. He said even the voters in urban areas had no idea of the issues each party stood for.

Regarding the media, Zimbiti said the state media is almost the only media in the country and they only present the government’s point of view. He said most reports show the ruling party in a favorable light, while portraying the opposition as criminals.

Zimbiti said the deteriorating economy is also affecting the elections. People are more concerned with their daily survival and are not paying much attention to any other issues.

Meanwhile on Tuesday the British Minister for Africa, Lord Malloch Brown said in an interview that the odds are against Zimbabwe's elections being free and fair, despite mediation efforts by South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki. Malloch-Brown explained that the British government wants “to keep an open mind” regarding the elections, but “the early signs are not good”.

The full detailed CCJP report can be found on our website at www.swradioafrica.com