ZESN Report on the 31 July 2013 Harmonised Elections Dumisani Muleya and Owen Gagare Editor and Chief Reporter- The Independent 7 May Arrested for allegedly publishing falsehoods. Campaigning The political party campaign environment for the 2013 harmonised elections was much improved from that of 2008. Unlike previous elections, when prospective candidates were physically barred from the nomination courts, there were no extra-judicial impediments against those wishing to submit their papers to the nomination courts. Once nominated, candidates were able to campaign freely and hold meetings and rallies. There were some few incidences where political party meetings did not get police clearance from MDC T. The MDC-T and ZANU-PF leaders and presidential candidates held numerous rallies across the country, including several very colourful and well-attended star rallies. On 9 July, the MDC-T held a rally at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura formerly a no-go area for the party. Although at campaign level, there was a great improvement from past elections, there were reports of various human rights violations in the months leading up to the election. There were continued threats to seize foreign owned businesses and farms using the indigenisation regulations, and these contributed to the continued stagnation of the economy, strengthening calls for a change of government and a change of policy. While there were some instances of overt violence, these were relatively few. However, there were a significant number of reports of political intimidation and fear-mongering in some rural communities. While the GPA provided for a government institution to deal with issues of reconciliation, and an Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration was set up, it has barely been visible in the years since the violent June 2008 presidential run-off and many citizens still bear the wounds of the violence of that time, which affected their participation in the most recent elections. Whilst the MDC-T won the highest number of seats in the National Assembly in 2008, a number of opinion polls and reports49since then have suggested that support for the MDC-T has been slowly waning in its traditional urban strongholds and that ZANU-PF support has also grown in these areas. During the countdown to the elections, the media also reported that several parties, including the MDCT, ZAPU, MDC-N, ZANU-Ndonga and the MKD, were planning a grand coalition that would field just one presidential candidate to avoid splitting the presidential vote as happened in 2008. In the end, although the MKD party and Ndonga allied themselves to the MDC-T, the MDC-N and ZAPU created their own alliance and continued to pursue their own presidential ambitions. 49 ‘‘Change and ‘New’ Politics in Zimbabwe’ Freedom House July 2012. 50 | P a g e