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