has not stopped the old body from purporting to prohibit a senior journalist from operating because he is not accredited he was refused accreditation by it. 13. Conclusion Conditions do not exist for the holding of free and fair elections in March 2008. 1. The ruling party’s instruments of intimidation of the opposition remain as strong as ever and are being used countrywide, with little attempt to restrain them. 2. Political campaigning by the opposition is still being obstructed by ruling party supporters and the police. 3. The important mass media remain firmly under the control of the ruling party although the law now requires them to give fair coverage to election campaigning. These media have continued to operate mostly as pro-ruling party propaganda organs. Until just a few weeks before elections what little coverage of the opposition election campaigns has been mostly of a negative nature. 4. The body responsible for running the elections continues to operate in a politically partisan manner and the key personnel who will run the elections on the ground are pro-ruling party sympathisers, such as ex-army officers and intelligence officers. 5. The ruling party continues its massive abuse of state resources for its election campaign and for vote buying purposes. 19