VII. Harassment and Attacks on Civil Society Since the March 29 elections, the ruling ZANU-PF government has sought to undermine the ability of various civil society actors who could possibly play a role in drawing attention to lack of freedom and unfairness in the runoff election for president. This includes threats, arbitrary arrests and physical assaults apparently intended to intimidate those who will observe and oversee the elections, such as government election officers, local election observers, civil society activists, lawyers and journalists. Such methods have been used in the past by the government of Zimbabwe against perceived political opponents. Attacks on Election Observers Since March 29, police have arrested more than 100 presiding officers from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on allegations of fraud.101 Human Rights Watch believes that these charges are politically motivated and an attempt to instill fear into those observers who will oversee the presidential runoff. Most of those who worked as presiding officers were teachers who in the past have been routinely targeted and victimized as MDC supporters because of their positions. One presiding officer, a teacher from Chiweshe in Mashonaland Central told Human Rights Watch: As a result of the threats and insecurity, many teachers have left the school, where I teach. l am living in fear and am not sure if l will be able to continue working at the school … l was told by one ZANU-PF youth that l am on a list of people who will be targeted by “war veterans” because l was a presiding officer at Howard Mission Polling Station where ZANU-PF lost to MDC. War veterans accuse me of masterminding the defeat of ZANU-PF. From May 5-9, l was in police custody at Bindura Police Station after a member of ZANU-PF had lied to police that l had threatened to burn down some houses. After 5 101 “Press statement on ongoing arrests of presiding officers,” Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, April 30, 2008. On file with Human Rights Watch. 51 Human Rights Watch 2008