Date: 15 August 2011
Zimbabwe civil society groups under the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition banner make the following five submissions to SADC leaders on critical steps to prepare Zimbabwe to hold genuinely free and fair elections under conditions of free political activity without violence or intimidation:
1. Within the scope of its mediation mandate, SADC must ensure that there is security sector re-alignment and that there are guarantees that security forces will uphold the Constitution of Zimbabwe and uphold the rule of law or otherwise act impartially in the discharge of their duties without interfering in political and electoral affairs. Additionally, SADC must independently monitor and satisfy itself that all soldiers unlawfully deployed across the country have be sent back to their barracks where there should be confined for the entire elections period.
2. SADC must push strongly for the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) and the elections roadmap and ensure that key milestones such as constitutional review and a referendum are achieved before SADC pronounces Zimbabwe ready for elections.
3. In addition to deployment SADC Organ Troika representatives to participate in the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), SADC and the African Union must provide for robust monitoring of Zimbabwe elections by monitors deployed at least six months ahead of elections and at least three months after elections are held to prevent state-sponsored violence and ensure peace.
4. On the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) SADC must:
Ensure that the Inclusive Government of Zimbabwe has reviewed ZEC staffing to ensure non-partisanship, independence and professionalism in the discharge of their mandate
Ensure that, in terms of the law, ZEC is fully and exclusively empowered to invite, accredit and register both domestic and external election monitors and observers
Ensure that, through the SADC Secretariat, ZEC is adequately resourced to be able to discharge its mandate
5. State publicly that conditions for free and fair elections are currently absent in Zimbabwe and as such the country cannot hold elections in 2011 or before conditions for free and fair elections have been created and the environment has become conducive.
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