The Hindu : International : Zimbabwe Opposition alleges plot to rig elections

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 29, 2005

International

International

Zimbabwe Opposition alleges plot to rig elections

By Jeevan Vasagar

BULAWAYO (ZIMBABWE), MARCH 28. Zimbabwe's Opposition is steeling itself for defeat in this week's parliamentary elections as new allegations emerge of plans to rig the ballot.

Veteran observers such as Pius Ncube, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, believe the Opposition has already lost the election.

The Archbishop yesterday called for ``a non-violent popular uprising'' to overthrow the President, Robert Mugabe, but leaders of the Opposition MDC believe there is little hope of Ukraine-style street protests in a country cowed by years of violence.

David Coltart, the MDC's legal affairs spokesman, said: ``I'm not sure that the people of Zimbabwe are ready yet to go to the streets. This isn't Kiev or Belgrade. We don't have the same communications as those European countries have. We don't have independent radio stations. We don't have sympathetic neighbours. And people understand that.''

In the run-up to Thursday's election, Mr Mugabe has appointed a former army colonel to head the country's Electoral Commission, and signed laws allowing military officers to be election officials.

Senior military officers have close political ties to Mr. Mugabe, who has rewarded their loyalty with confiscated commercial farms.

Discrepancies in poll list

The voters' rolls are being stuffed with fictitious names, opponents claim. One investigation of 500 homes found that nearly a fifth of the people on the roll were not at their supposed addresses.

The Government has also been accused of manipulating the voters' roll in rural constituencies, where the ruling Zanu-PF party is traditionally stronger. In one remote rural constituency east of the capital, Harare, the MDC claims that 14,000 names have been added to the roll since the presidential election three years ago. By contrast, in urban Bulawayo South, which has an Opposition MP, just 3,600 people have joined the roll.

The Government has agreed to an MDC demand that ballot boxes should be made of plastic rather than wood so that election observers can see the level of votes inside in an attempt to prevent them being stuffed with fake votes. But instead of being translucent, as the Opposition requested, the boxes will be made of clear plastic, meaning that the ballot papers will be visible from the outside.

Mr Coltart said: ``They're putting the word out, `Now we're going to know how your village voted. And if you as a village want food, you're going to vote for us.'''

The Opposition's campaigning takes place despite draconian legislation such as the Public Order and Security Act that prohibits political gatherings without prior approval from the police.

The police have used the act to disrupt MDC rallies and arrest speakers.

Groundswell of support

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city, is the centre of Opposition to Mr Mugabe. Campaigning takes place here in churches, homes and municipal parks.

At one MDC rally last week, dancers in black jeans and white trainers shimmied to a hip-hop soundtrack in a dusty park. Opposition speakers implored voters to turn out in huge numbers.

``That's the only way we can stop this election being rigged,'' said one. —

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