The electoral commission sworn in by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe last month to ensure fair elections in March has been established too late to ensure its success, according to a report released on Monday.
The report by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), an independent election watchdog, states ”with the best will in the world the new commission will not be able to improve Zimbabwe’s electoral system”.
”It is unlikely that the political environment can be reformed between now and March to ensure that all parties have equal access to the media and are able to campaign without interference.
”They [the five commissioners] will have only eight weeks in which to appoint staff and assign them posts and duties … the electoral commission will not have time to ensure that the election is conducted freely, fairly and democratically,” ZESN said.
Parliamentary elections in 2000 and the presidential ballot in 2002 were marked by violence and reports of rampant fraud. The Commonwealth and the African Union dismissed Mugabe’s victory in 2002 as the result of violence and cheating. – Sapa-DPA