6 The interference with the basic freedoms expected under the SADC Principles and Guidelines is clearly in breach of these Principles and Guidelines: the freedoms of association, assembly, movement, and expression are all seen as having been compromised by the citizens making these reports. It is basic to any democratic election that citizens feel free to actively participate in the electoral process, but this is not evident in the constituencies sampled so far. Interference with Basic Freedoms The basic freedoms of association, assembly, expression, and movement are all fundamental to an acceptable electoral climate, and, furthermore, are central to the kind of pre-election climate envisaged under the SADC Principles and Guidelines. Without these freedoms, citizens are not in a position to exercise the kinds of choices that are necessary to reach the conclusion that an election was “free”. As was seen in all the reports issued previously during February 2005, most Provinces and constituencies reported interference with the basic freedoms. This is summarised above in Table 5, but below we outline the issues in more detail, demonstrating alleged causality for these interferences. As is seen in Table 2, interference with the freedom of association affects the MDC rather more frequently than ZanuPF, and this accords with most reports in the press during February. Table 2. Interference with freedom of association. Unable to wear insignia % of constituencies reporting. ZanuPF 12% MDC 70% Other 11% Unable to put up posters % of constituencies reporting. ZanuPF 4% MDC 68% Other 10% The community monitors reported that ZanuPF was able to hold 413 public meetings to 108 for the MDC, and this is, of course, open to interpretation. On the one hand, it can mean that ZanuPF was more diligent and economically able to hold meetings than the MDC, but it can equally mean that the MDC was impeded in the holding of meetings. Here it is relevant to point out that there were many reports of the MDC being impeded in the holding of public meetings, and it also relevant to point out, as Table 3 below indicates, that there was a very strong trend reported by the community monitors for citizens to be coerced to attend ZanuPF meetings. Here 23% of the meetings held by ZanuPF had coercion as a factor as opposed to 2% of MDC meetings. Table 3. Interference with freedom of assembly. Political Party Number of meetings ZanuPF 96 MDC 2 Other 2 National Constitutional Assembly: Election Climate Reports.