16 · · · · · 37% believe that democracy is inadequate in Zimbabwe as opposed to 29% who say it is adequate. 56% say participation and involvement is inadequate as opposed to 30% who say it is adequate. 68% say government is illegitimate as opposed to 21% who say it is legitimate. 65% believe that citizenship participation is poor as opposed to 21% who say it is good. 65% say Zimbabwe is intolerant as opposed to 22% who say that is tolerant. There are thus large differences between the two response sets, generally in the area of 40 percentage points, and this strongly suggests that the youth are dissatisfied with consensus and popular participation. They feel that the government is illegitimate, that citizen participation is poor, and that Zimbabwe is an intolerant society. The findings of the survey were bolstered by the opinions expressed during the workshops. The youth generally had a clear idea of what constitutes democracy, and one important area discussed was the notion of the consensus of the people in underpinning the legitimacy of a government. Here they were very clear that there is little consultation by government and that ordinary citizens feel alienated from the governing process. The strongest examples for the youth were the disputed elections in 2000 and 2002, and also the Constitutional process in 1999. As regards this latter, the youth pointed out that there had been wide consultation both by the National Constitutional Assembly and the Presidential Commission, and the ordinary people had stated clearly their preferences. However, few of these preferences were seen in the final document, and unsurprisingly the draft constitution was rejected. This supports the findings of the latest Afrobarometer report on Zimbabwe, which shows a decline in support for democracy amongst ordinary Zimbabweans, and also supports the view of a dominant-power syndrome where political participation does not lead to inclusion but rather maintenance of the political elite. As regards legitimacy through elections, which is clearly a central concern for a democracy, the Zimbabwe government was said to be illegitimate for a variety of reasons: · · · · · · · elections were not free and fair; there is evidence of voter intimidation before and during the election period; the levels of violence in any community rises when there is an election, be it council or by election; lack of an independent electoral commission; lack of independent monitors; failure of the Registrar General to provide the voter roll; decreases in the number of polling stations in the urban areas and increases in the rural areas. The youth also felt that there is little participation in self government because of fear and lack of tolerance for people with divergent views. In respect of fear, the youth stated that they are afraid to become involved in politics as there is little room for one to freely express one’s true minds on what is happening in the country without retribution. The government was seen as intolerant, and has on numerous occasions resorted to violence in suppressing political debate. The youth themselves have been used to perpetrate this violence, leading to beatings, assaults, arson, rape and even murder of political opponents. The youth however implicated their elders as instigators of the violence; they do not get involved in the violence themselves, but take advantage of the youth. As one small group reported, they IDASA: Zimbabwe at the Cross-Roads: Views of Zimbabwean citizens on democracy and transitional justice.