Date: 19/03/2008
Source: Movement for Democratic Change
Title: Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai: Statement on the electoral environment

We have 10 days left to the harmonised elections, being held on 29 March 2008. The MDC has made its position very clear as far as the conditions pertaining to those elections. We knew all along that the present government would do everything in their power to frustrate the people's project that will dislodge it and usher in a new period of development, a period of hope, a period of peace and freedom.

The SADC sponsored dialogue between MDC and ZANU PF offered a singular opportunity for Zimbabweans to find each other and chat the way towards resolution of the national crisis. All that is now behind us and we must deal with the situation before us.

I have travelled the length and breadth of this country and have seen the suffering and abject poverty to which all our compatriots have been reduced. No amount of politicking will persuade the people into believing that there is anyone else responsible for their suffering than Robert Mugabe and the few beneficiaries of his system of patronage and greed.
In deciding to participate in the current elections in spite of the uneven playing field, the MDC was acknowledging that the people needed an opportunity to speak and to speak through the ballot box. Our National Council felt that the people could not be denied that opportunity.
Consequently we are in the electoral race. The message I keep hearing is that Zimbabwe is fed up with the lies, the corruption, loss of jobs, run away inflation, shortages, absence of democratic space and they know where this has originated from. Ladies and Gentlemen I wish to make certain remarks, drawing attention to matters of deep concern to us as the election approaches.
Violence and Intimidation
Some would say that compared to 2000, 2002 and 2005 we are experiencing a relatively quiet campaign period. We should not even be finding it necessary to talk about attacks of one Zimbabwean by another. Every incident is a constant reminder of those dark periods typified by injuries, death and destruction of property.
Many such reminders have already been reported- abduction of our council candidate on nomination day. He is still not accounted for to this day. Our candidate for Uzumba was similarly abducted on her way from a multiparty liason meeting. Thank God she was released by her ZANU PF captors without experiencing physical harm. In both incidents the police have failed in their duty to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book.
Several cases of beatings have occurred for which long list is available. Sadly we still have partisan police officers that have ignored all our calls for them to deal effectively with political crimes. Examples of uncooperative police stations are Mbare in Harare, Harare South, Mhangura, Zvimba and Chipinge. I should acknowledge and commend the majority of the police for responding to reported incidents. This is as it should be. Sadly we are noticing an increase in the number of cases of violence as the election day approaches.
We continue to urge our party members and supporters to avoid retaliation because it does nobody any good, but let no one mistake this restraint for weakness on our part. I wish to commend our members and supporters for the quiet dignity which has become typical of all our public gatherings, even in the face of obvious provocation. We are creating the future that for which we have suffered physically, emotionally and financially these last ten years.
Voter Registration
There are issues concerning the registration which need to be brought to the attention of the public. We have all along stated that the present voters roll contains several anomalies in the form of dead voters and ghost voters. Our protestations have fallen on deaf ears. Notwithstanding the provision of the electoral act in so far as the residence status of registered voters, we have names of persons deemed to be ordinarily resident at addresses that are nothing more than tall grass. Ladies and gentlemen you can today visit Ward 42, Hatcliffe, on the outskirts of Harare, where you can confirm the nonexistence of dwellings at housing stands which, for instance, the following registered voters have given as residential addresses:

Stand No. Name
9968 Teclar Chaparadza
9969 Faith Dizwa
9970 Stanley Chiangwa
9972 Yeukayi Charumbira
9973 John Chimeto
9979 Ruth Chapinduka
10028 Getrude Dzingwena
10224 Everness Badza
The total of such ficticous residential addresses exceeds a thousand registered voters. Persons have simply been allocated vacant stand numbers now deemed to be their places of ordinary residence, whereas this was only done for voter registration purposes. This needs to be investigated and persons concerned brought to book.

Voters Roll
Since 2004 we have made one request after another for a copy of the voters roll in electronic form. The Registrar General is well aware of the electronic voters roll that was released to us in January 2002 on instruction from the high court. The electoral act has since been amended to provide for the supply of an electronic version of the voters roll. We paid $21 billion dollars to purchase voters rolls for the 210 constituencies, only to find that this was $21 billion worth of still pictures that we are not able to interrogate it except at huge cost. Must we always go to court to obtain what we should be getting as a matter of fact? This matter needs to be investigated and any breaches rectified.
This attitude of ZEC and the Registrar General is hardly surprising given the revelations highlighted above in the case of Harare North. An electronic voters roll, in the form that we obtained in 2002, would easily throw up cases of ghost and multiple registrations. ZEC needs to understand that we hold them responsible for the omissions of their agent, the Registrar General.
Diaspora Vote
More than three million of our citizens have banished into economic exile. No well meaning government will disenfranchise more than 25% of its population without blinking an eyelid. All our protestations have fallen on deaf ears. These citizens are sustaining this economy today through remittances to their destitute families and deserve better than the treatment that is being given by the ZANU PF government. There are several precedents around us where non resident citizens have been given the opportunity to vote and Zimbabwe should copy such progressive examples.
Abuse of Power
The enactment of Statutory Instrument number 46/2008 is very worrisome to all democrats. Mr Mugabe, just like myself, is a candidate and should have known better what not to do. For reasons best known only to himself, at the stroke of a pen, he has reintroduced the police into the voting process. As far as we can establish there was no consultation with ZEC or any other agency with the responsibility to run elections under the law. His own ink, which legalised amendments to the electoral law in January this year, is hardly dry and the man uses Presidential Powers to over rule parliament. This is abuse of the highest order which must be condemned and challenged at every level.
We have every confidence that Presiding Officers and their Polling Officers can provide the assistance required by illiterate and physically challenged voters without the police standing over their shoulders. We have information that some of these police will be CIO operatives in police uniform. Let me assure the nation that our party will not be taken for a ride this time.
Other Issues
Let me briefly touch on certain other issues of concern to us.
The administration of the postal ballots still leaves room for certain commanding officers to influence the way voters will cast their votes. The system should allow for voting to be done in private and not in front of commanding offers as often reported.
The law still requires voters to display the folded ballot to the presiding officer after voting. This practice has provided an opportunity for intimidation of voters. We have objected to this practice but this has fallen on deaf ears and we wonder why.
The whole system of command centres has been abused by the ruling party. It is imperative for the whole process to be transparent and accordingly we appeal to ZEC to provide for representatives of political parties to be present at all command centres where any election activity will be conducted, in particular , the receipt and communication of election results.
Lastly we note with deep concern the most recent announcement through the public media that counting of certain ballots will not be done at polling stations after all, in spite of the law. We will object in the strongest terms to such manipulation of the electoral process and call upon ZEC to behave like man and women of honour.
Conclusion
The road that we have travelled has been difficult and painful to the majority of Zimbabweans. We have cast away the victim image and taken up the challenge, to follow our vision to the bitter end. The goal is in sight and we expect the enemies of justice to engage in every trick. We are ready for them, all of us. Our information system has improved enormously and we express our heartfelt appreciation to the many compatriots, from every walk of life, that have heeded our call for participation in the struggle. May we all walk the last mile together, into the dawn of a New Zimbabwe.

I thank you.