Not a Level Playing Field: Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Elections in 2005 A Human Rights Watch Briefing Paper March 21, 2005 Summary......................................................................................................................................... 1 Recommendations......................................................................................................................... 2 To the SADC Electoral Observer Team:.............................................................................. 2 To SADC Member States:....................................................................................................... 3 Background .................................................................................................................................... 3 The “New” Electoral System ...................................................................................................... 5 The ZEC: Still Partisan and Too Late ................................................................................... 6 Voters’ Registration: Continuing Discrimination ................................................................ 8 The Right to Vote: Major Exclusions.................................................................................. 11 Access to Voter Education: Minimal and Partisan ............................................................ 12 Independent Observers and Monitors: Only Government Invitees .............................. 12 An Impartial Electoral Court: Compromised..................................................................... 13 The Electoral Environment....................................................................................................... 14 Political Intimidation in Mashonaland, Manicaland and Harare ..................................... 14 Freedom of Assembly, Movement and Association ......................................................... 19 Freedom of Expression and Information ........................................................................... 25 Intimidation and harassment of independent journalists and media organizations. 26 Equal access to the public media ..................................................................................... 29 Biased coverage in the state-run print media ................................................................. 30 Some of Zimbabwe’s National Laws: Key Concerns............................................................ 31 Glossary of Acronyms................................................................................................................ 35

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