publications

III. Recommendations

To the Government of Zimbabwe

Regarding electoral violence and acts of intimidation

  • Ensure that all allegations of violence and intimidation committed by police officers, intelligence and state security officers, and ruling party supporters are investigated promptly, and that accused persons are brought to trial quickly and tried impartially;
  • Issue clear public instructions to police and state security agents that any officer alleged to have committed acts of violence and intimidation will be investigated, and if deemed responsible for such acts, prosecuted;
  • Make clear through repeated public statements that any individual who carries out acts of violence or intimidation, abuses food aid for political purposes, denies freedom of association or assembly to supporters of any party, restricts freedom of information, or commits other abuses will be investigated and, depending on the nature of the offense, disciplined or prosecuted;
  • Publicly and promptly condemn any acts of violence by ZANU-PF, its supporters, or members of the police and intelligence agencies, and call on all Zimbabweans to respect fundamental rights as enshrined in the constitution.

Regarding the electoral campaign environment

  • Ensure that all police officers and state agents act professionally and impartially during and after the campaigning period, and that they take no active part in campaigning;  
  • Allow all journalists to operate freely and without harassment in Zimbabwe, and withdraw politically motivated charges and restrictions against journalists;
  • Respect and enforce the Electoral Laws Amendment Act and the amendments to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Act of 2005 regarding equal access to the media for all political parties;
  • End and repudiate discriminatory practices that exclude opposition and perceived opposition supporters from accessing government-distributed farming equipment and state-subsidized food. Apply disciplinary measures for staff of the Grain and Marketing Board as appropriate.

Regarding management and oversight of the elections

  • Ensure free, fair, and transparent management of the March 2008 elections;
  • Take all possible corrective measures in the time remaining to provide the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission with adequate resources to run the elections, and ensure its full independence, in an effort  to strengthen domestic and international confidence in the election process and result;
  • Ensure that all police officers and state agents take no active part in supervising the electoral process;  
  • Allow all electoral observers to move freely throughout the country and access all legislation, regulations, and institutions governing the electoral process and environment, consistent with the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.

To Opposition Parties

  • Publicly and promptly condemn any violence by supporters and call on party members and supporters to act in accordance with the law.

To the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission

  • Promptly, impartially, thoroughly, and transparently investigate all allegations of election irregularities and election-related offenses.

To the Southern African Development Community

  • Call on the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that in the days remaining until the vote on March 29, electoral observers have access to all election sites and are free to move throughout the country and to report on any election-related violence and intimidation;
  • Publicly impress upon the government of Zimbabwe the importance of all levels of government taking responsibility for ensuring free and fair elections and election campaigns;
  • Ensure that any statement on the outcome of the elections refers to the principles and benchmarks set out in the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections and takes a balanced account of all candidates’ and parties’ views on the conduct of the elections, the conditions in the period leading up to the elections, as well as assessments of civil society organizations monitoring the elections.

To Local and International Observers

  • Call on the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that in the days remaining until the vote on March 29, all electoral observers have access to all election sites and are free to move throughout the country and to report on any election-related intimidation and violence;
  • Take into account all aspects of the electoral process and the views of all stakeholders  when assessing the elections, including the following issues: pre-election human rights abuses, intimidation, and media bias;
  • Issue urgent  public statements noting any concerns about electoral conditions and recommending corrective measures in advance of March 29;
  • Remain in Zimbabwe for a reasonable period beyond the vote count to monitor and promptly publicly report on possible election-related human rights violations occurring post-election.