by Bayano Valy – SANF 08 No 14
The main regional electoral observer mission deployed in Zimbabwe will not anticipate the outcome of the forthcoming 29 March harmonised elections, but will observe the process based on agreed regional guidelines.
“We’re here to observe and our conscience is to follow our code of conduct which will dictate our position at the end of the process,” the head of SEOM, Angolan Youth and Sports, José Marcos Barrica, told journalists, adding that initial reports from its observers in the provinces are encouraging.
He said the SADC Mission is not in Zimbabwe to take over the management of the elections.
“There are statutory institutions vested with those responsibilities. Our mandate is to observe the management of the electoral process; advising those managing the elections and the contesting parties with the aim of ensuring that the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections in the region are fully respected and implemented.”
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM) comes into the country through invitation of the government of Zimbabwe as stated in the SADC guidelines.
“These Principles and Guidelines for conducting democratic elections compel all SADC Member States to ensure the full participation of the citizens in the political process,” Barrica said, “freedom of association; political tolerance; equal opportunity for all political parties to access the State media; equal opportunity to exercise the right to vote and be voted for; independence of the Judiciary and impartiality of the electoral institutions; voter education; acceptance and respect of the election results by political parties proclaimed to have been free and fair by the competent National Electoral Authorities in accordance with the law of the land; and challenge of the election results as provided for in the law of the land.”
The guidelines were adopted at the SADC Summit in August 2004, in Mauritius, and intend to provide a roadmap for the conduct of polls in the region. Although elections were held in three of the regional countries in 2004 after the adoption of the guidelines, it was during the 2005 Zimbabwe parliamentary elections that they were first incorporated and meaningfully tested.
The SEOM started deploying observers on 13 March to all provinces of Zimbabwe. So far the mission has about 50 observers divided into 20 teams on the field and expects a further 70 to join the mission over the next few days to take the total of observers to 120 – this is to be the biggest observer mission ever deployed in a SADC member country.
The SEOM code of conduct compels the mission to comply with national laws and maintain strict impartiality in the conduct of their duties.
Since its inception the mission has held a series of meetings with the relevant stakeholders, ranging from President Robert Mugabe to MDC Secretary General, Tendai Biti; from representatives of independent candidate, former Finance Minister Simba Makoni, to a plethora of civil society organisations and the diplomatic corps accredited in the country.
“In all these meetings and consultations, we shared and exchanged views and took note of various concerns,” the Angolan minister told journalists. “We offered advise on verifiable concerns. It has not been possible to substantiate certain concerns and claims where tangible evidence could not be provided.”
Furthermore, “accusations and counter-accusations are normal”, said Barrica, adding that the mission “will be guided by facts and not opinions.
“In this regard, we intend to meet all stakeholders in order to have a clear understanding of the concerns and expectations of all sectors of the Zimbabwean society.
“I am, however, pleased to note that in all our consultations, the peacefulness of the conduct of the electoral process up to this day has been acknowledged and praised.”
Some of the concerns related to the conduct of the electoral process by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), mainly alleged delays in availing the voters roll and the insufficiency of polling stations, he said. However, he said that the ZEC had assured the mission that the number of polling stations would be increased.
ZEC had earlier told political stakeholders and civil society organisations that there would be composite polling stations with more than one voting point.
Thus far the assessment of the SEOM team is positive. Barrica said that it was the view of the SEOM that there are conditions conducive to the holding of free and fair elections.
The SEOM has noted some aspects of the electoral process that need to be ironed out but its stance is not “the principle of all or nothing because if we wanted a climate of paradise, we’d never hold elections.”
Barrica also called on the media to cover the election in a spirit of transparency, objectivity and beyond reproach.
The harmonised elections involve voting with four different ballots for president, senate, house of assembly and local councillors.
ZEC has announced that there are 779 candidates for the 210 seats in the lower house of assembly, and 197 aspirants for the 60 elected seats in the upper house, the senate, from 12 political parties and 116 independents.
ZEC has said that it will deploy 107,690 polling officers who will oversee voting in 800,890 polling stations throughout the country.
Zimbabwe’s electorate is estimated at around about 5.9 million registered voters out of a population of around 12 million people.
