OVERVIEW NONE OF THE CLIMATES IN ALL THE SAMPLED PROVINCES WERE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SADC PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES GOVERNING DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS. AS CAN BE SEEN FROM FIGURE 1 BELOW, ALL PROVINCES SHOWED HIGH ELECTORAL IRREGULARITY RATINGS, WITH THE HIGHEST BEING SEEN IN HARARE PROVINCE, FOLLOWED BY MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE. IN GENERAL, THE EI RATINGS WERE HIGHER IN THE NORTHERN PROVINCES, AS WAS THE CASE IN THE 2000 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. LATER WE EXAMINE THE CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE URBAN AND RURAL CONSTITUENCIES AS THIS CONTRAST SEEMS CALLED FOR IN THE LIGHT OF THE ELECTION RESULTS. Figure 1. A brief summary of the irregularities observed by the NCA indicates that there is no reason to have confidence that the electoral climate was conducive to the holding of genuine, democratic elections. Quite apart from the flawed constitutional basis for these elections, irregularities remained extremely prevalent throughout the immediate pre-election period, as can be seen from the table below, which is a summary of all reports to date. TABLE 1. Summary of Irregularities over all Provinces in 2005. ELECTORAL IRREGULARITY INTERFERENCE WITH FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION INTERFERENCE WITH FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY INTERFERENCE WITH FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT INTERFERENCE WITH FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION POLITICAL VIOLENCE ELECTORAL DISAGREEMENTS ABSENCE OF VOTER EDUCATION POLITICAL USE OF FOOD PERCENTAGE OF REPORTS 85% 68% 77% 89% 90% 79% 58% 74% The interferences with the basic freedoms expected under the SADC Principles and Guidelines is National Constitutional Assembly: THE 2005 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION. FLAWED, UNFREE AND UNFAIR!