Contents
Preface................................................................................................................................... 4
1 Background...................................................................................................................... 7
2 The Objectives of the Report........................................................................................... 8
3 Summary and Overall Assessment.................................................................................. 9
4 The State and Government Structure ........................................................................... 11
4.1 The Division of Powers............................................................................................ 11
4.2 The Parliament Structure......................................................................................... 11
5 The Election Related Legal Framework ....................................................................... 12
5.1 The Electoral Act..................................................................................................... 12
5.2 The Electoral Systems.............................................................................................. 12
5.3 The Proportional Distribution Formula.................................................................... 14
5.4 Presence of the Police in the Polling Stations.......................................................... 15
5.5 The Process of Counting, Tabulating and Publishing Results................................. 17
5.5.1 The Law and Regulations................................................................................ 17
Common for All Elections............................................................................... 18
Local Councils................................................................................................. 18
The National Assembly................................................................................... 18
The Presidential Elections............................................................................... 18
Conclusion....................................................................................................... 19
5.6 The Commission and its Secretariat......................................................................... 19
5.7 Election Expenses.................................................................................................... 20
5.8 Other Related Laws.................................................................................................. 20
6 The Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC)........................................................... 21
7 The Date of the Elections.............................................................................................. 22
8 The Pre-election Phases................................................................................................. 25
8.1 Voter registration...................................................................................................... 25
8.2 Delimitation of Constituencies................................................................................. 27
8.3 Voter Education........................................................................................................ 29
8.4 Nomination of Candidates....................................................................................... 29
8.5 Freedom of Speech and Association........................................................................ 29
8.6 Media....................................................................................................................... 29
8.7 Political Violence and Intimidation.......................................................................... 30
8.8 Ballot Printing.......................................................................................................... 30
8.9 Postal Voting............................................................................................................ 31
8.10 Special Voting......................................................................................................... 31
9 The Capacity of Polling Stations................................................................................... 33
10 Candidate Agents and Observers................................................................................... 33
10.1 Party agents............................................................................................................. 33
10.2 Observers................................................................................................................ 33
10.3 JOMIC.................................................................................................................... 34
11 The Election Day........................................................................................................... 35
11.1 A General Assessment............................................................................................. 35
11.2 The Voter Registers and Multiple or Illegitimate Voting........................................ 37
11.3 Assistance to Voters................................................................................................ 39
11.4 Police Presence....................................................................................................... 39
12 The Count and Tabulation............................................................................................. 39
12.1 The Presidential Election........................................................................................ 39
12.2 The National Assembly.......................................................................................... 40
12.3 The Senate.............................................................................................................. 45
12.4 The Province Councils............................................................................................ 46
12.5 The Turnout............................................................................................................ 47
12.6 The Results Comparison over Time....................................................................... 48
12.7 The Close Races..................................................................................................... 48
13 Movement of Voters...................................................................................................... 50
14 The Post-election Phase................................................................................................. 53
14.1 The Publication of Results by ZEC........................................................................ 53
14.2 The Re-count.......................................................................................................... 53
14.3 The MDC Constitutional Court Petition................................................................. 54
15 General Assessment....................................................................................................... 56
16 Recommendations for Future Elections........................................................................ 57
2
3
Appendix A. International Standards and
Conventions Related to Elections Valid for Zimbabwe...................................................... 59
Appendix B. The Problems with the Proportional Distribution Formula........................... 63
The Law......................................................................................................................... 63
The Distribution Formula.............................................................................................. 63
Seats for Very Small Parties........................................................................................... 65
Inconsistency and the Alabama Paradox........................................................................ 66
The Alabama Paradox............................................................................................. 66
Consistency............................................................................................................. 67
Decimals........................................................................................................................ 67