clearly in breach of these Principles and Guidelines: the freedoms of association, assembly, movement, and expression are all seen by the citizens making these reports as having been compromised. It is basic to any democratic election that citizens feel free to actively participate in the electoral process, but this was not evident in the constituencies sampled in this report. Interference with Basic Freedoms THE BASIC FREEDOMS OF ASSOCIATION, ASSEMBLY, EXPRESSION, AND MOVEMENT ARE ALL FUNDAMENTAL TO AN ACCEPTABLE ELECTORAL CLIMATE, AND, FURTHERMORE, ARE CENTRAL TO THE KIND OF PRE-ELECTION CLIMATE ENVISAGED UNDER THE SADC PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES. A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF CITIZENS WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO EXERCISE THEIR CHOICES REQUIRED TO REACH THE CONCLUSION THAT AN ELECTION WAS “FREE”. THE OBSERVERS STATED THAT THE ELECTIONS WERE LEGITIMATE AND SHOWED THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE BUT THEY FAILED BOTH TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS, AS WELL AS THE SUBTLE NATURE OF THE CURRENT INTERFERENCES. Interference with the freedom of association MOST PROVINCES AND CONSTITUENCIES REPORTED INTERFERENCE WITH THE BASIC FREEDOMS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD, WITH 85% OF THE CONSTITUENCIES REPORTING INTERFERENCE WITH THE FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION. 80% OF THE REPORTS RECEIVED REPORTED THAT POLITICAL PARTY SUPPORTERS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO WEAR THEIR INSIGNIA OR WERE FEARFUL OF SO DOING, AND A FURTHER 75% STATED THE CANDIDATES COULD NOT PUT UP THEIR POSTERS. AS IS SEEN IN TABLE 2, INTERFERENCE WITH THE FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AFFECTED THE MDC RATHER MORE FREQUENTLY THAN ZANUPF, AND THIS IS CORROBORATED BY PRESS REPORTS IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH. TABLE 2 INTERFERENCE WITH FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION. UNABLE TO WEAR INSIGNIA PERCENTAGE OF REPORTS. ZANUPF MDC OTHER UNABLE TO PUT UP POSTERS ZANUPF MDC OTHER 21% 59% 7% PERCENTAGE OF REPORTS. 16% 58% 6% INTERFERENCE WITH FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY THE OPPOSITION HELD HALF THE MEETINGS THAT WERE HELD BY ZANU PF, AS SHOWN IN TABLE 3. THEIR MEETINGS WERE OFTEN DISRUPTED BY THE POLICE USING THE PUBLIC ORDER AND SECURITY ACT (POSA). HERE, IT HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED IN THE PRESS THAT THE MDC WERE BEING IMPEDED IN THE HOLDING OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND IT IS ALSO RELEVANT TO POINT OUT THAT THERE WAS A VERY STRONG TREND REPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY MONITORS FOR CITIZENS TO BE FORCED TO ATTEND ZANUPF MEETINGS, WITH 68% OF ALL REPORTS INDICATING FORCED ATTENDANCE AT ZANUPF MEETINGS. Table 3. Interference with Freedom of Assembly: Number of meetings held. POLITICAL PARTY NUMBER OF MEETINGS ZANUPF 1131 MDC 563 OTHER 30 Interference with freedom of movement National Constitutional Assembly: THE 2005 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION. FLAWED, UNFREE AND UNFAIR!