The Election Climate Reports are produced by the NCA in order to provide information on the
prevailing climate for citizen participation in the 31 March 2005 Parliamentary Election. The NCA
has already communicated its condemnation of the constitutional framework under which the
elections were being conducted. The Report is a consolidated statement of the reports sent in by
a national network of community monitors.
The community reports sample a number of electoral “atmospherics” (described below), which
aim to provide a clear description of the state of affairs prevailing in any one constituency:
• Freedom of Association;
Freedom of Assembly;
Freedom of Movement;
Freedom of Expression;
Incidence of Political Violence;
Disputes over electoral procedures and electoral irregularities;
Occurrence of voter education;
Use of food as a political weapon.
The reports sample 18 critical indicators and hence provide a simple score for any one
constituency, which we have termed the “Electoral Irregularity” [EI] score: the higher the EI
score, the worse the electoral climate in a constituency.
The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) is a network of individuals and civic organizations including,
labour movements, student and youth groups, womens' groups, churches, business groups and human
rights organisations. It also includes political parties and was formed in 1997. These individuals and groups
formed the NCA to campaign for constitutional reform after realising that the political, social and economic
problems affecting Zimbabwe are mainly a result of the defective Lancaster House Constitution and can
only be resolved through a new and democratic
Constitution.
A democratic Constitution is the basis of good governance and leads to social and economic development.
Thus a democratic constitution leads to:
•
Free and fair elections
Observance of and respect for fundamental human rights
Respect of human rights
Respect for rule of law and an accountable and responsive government.
Physical address:
Telephone:
Fax:
Email address:
Web address:
348 Herbert Chitepo Ave, Harare, Zimbabwe
+263-(0)4-736338, 730431/32
+263-(0)4-721146
ncainformation@yahoo.caHYPERLINK
"mailto:ncainformation@yahoo.ca"
ncainformation@yahoo.ca, HYPERLINK
National Constitutional Assembly: THE 2005 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION. FLAWED, UNFREE AND UNFAIR!